


Aphelion

by Son_of_the_Mourning



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, BDSM, Drug Use, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Male Slash, Possessive Behavior, Self-Harm, Slash, mature - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2019-04-25 08:24:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 77
Words: 203,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14374800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Son_of_the_Mourning/pseuds/Son_of_the_Mourning
Summary: Albus sends Ollivander's granddaughter, who is mute, back to 1975 with the intel needed to save lives. Juliet lands in the middle of the Marauder/Slytherin war. Severus fights to make her his, Remus fights to keep them apart. Manipulative Albus. Young Death Eater timeline. AU *Possessive Severus* triggers in later chapters*BDSM*Dominant/Submissive*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, again my favorite people! Thanks for reading and following Juliet and Sev on another adventure. You will see similarities in this story from speechless as far as character traits. If you have any questions let me know. I own nothing.
> 
> If I got paid for this you would be getting a fic of much better quality.
> 
> I will try to post weekly sometimes sooner.
> 
> This story will have *triggers* BDSM, possessive, self-harm, alcoholism, drug use*

 

The war was over, the light has won and Lord Voldemort has been defeated by the chosen one. At what cost? The order lost more than half their members in the final battle. Dozens of students didn't return home or had no family to go back to. Albus Dumbledore was dead.

The portrait of Albus Dumbledore hung in the Headmasters office and acted like he still ran the place. The school was still being rebuilt at a steady pace in hopes to reopen for the new school year. Minerva was the new Headmistress and taking charge immediately, not letting a leg injury from the war slow her down. She was as quick with her cane as she was with her wand and she was back and forth from the Ministry trying to get the proper funding and documents in order to reopen.

No one knew how Albus still pulled the strings even after his death. The house elves would be loyal to him forever and the ghosts still fed him information like he asked. He spent the last two weeks reviewing all the information he had about the war and who did what, who died and what Voldemort did at every step. If he could only change a few key things then all the dominos would fall into place the order would still have its members, the children would still have their families and most importantly- he would still be alive!

He planned for weeks about how to fix it all and waited for the right opportunity to put it all to work. Then he heard from one of his portrait informants that Garrick Ollivander made it out of the war alive and was released from the hospital. Not only that, his granddaughter came from Rome for the summer to help him recover. Albus knew this was his golden opportunity and had one of the elves send a message to the recovering wandmaker.

Once he got word back from his elf that his invitation had been accepted with his time of arrival he smiled and started pointing fingers and calling orders to his loyal house elves. They squealed with excitement and took off to their tasks.

"What are you plotting old man?" the portrait of Severus Snape asked from his dark corner by the bookshelf. He was painted wearing his finest black robes in a painted version of his personal labs with ingredients and books lining the walls.

"What do you mean, Severus?" he said with a twinkle in his eye. He was painted in his bright blue robes with silver stars and a long pointy hat.

Severus scowled at him and went back to ignoring him like he had done since he was hung in the office, much to his disappointment. He didn't want to be painted, he didn't want to be hung in the office that contained nothing but bad memories. He wanted to be left alone in life and in death, but apparently it was too much to ask for. He did his job, spy for the order and protect Potter and die for the cause. Now he just wanted sweet solitude.

* * *

There was a knock on the door a few hours later, one of the house elves had just placed a large golden vase that looked like an urn, on top of the bookcase closest to Severus. He sneered at the elf as she worked and sent her running as soon as she finished.

"Come in!" Albus called out from his portrait.

The door opened slowly and Garrick limped in with his cane, his granddaughter supporting his other arm as she helped him walk. Garrick wore his fine dark blue robes and had a black cane that was topped with the silver head of a raven. His hair was almost as silver as his eyes, all of the black color no longer present. He walked heavily on his left leg, using his cane in the right hand to support the leg that couldn't hold its own.

His granddaughter was shorter than most her age, a small 15 year old girl with long black wavy hair and lightly tanned skin. She wore similar colored robes with a more feminine cut to them. Her face mostly hidden by her long cut bangs. She had the same piercing silver eyes that her grandfather had. The shy girl closed the door behind them and stood next to her grandfather after taking a small bow to Albus.

"Welcome! Garrick, how are you these days?" Albus said with a polite smile.

"I'd be better if I didn't have to walk up all those damn stairs! Why the hell couldn't we floo in?" Garrick huffed as he slowly sat in the chair his granddaughter led him to.

"The ministry has all the floo networks in the castle blocked for the time being. And who is this lovely lady?" Albus winked.

Juliet blushed and signed her name 'Hello Mr. Dumbledore, I am Juliet Ollivander.'

Albus gave her a huge smile that made her cheeks turn red and move behind the chair her grandfather was sitting in.

"This is my granddaughter Juliet. She's mute, as you can see. My son and daughter in law are still in Rome, but now with the war over they felt it finally safe for her to come and visit. She's been helping me recover and has truly been a godsend." Garrick said and squeezed her hand.

Albus' eyes widened, and he put his chin on his hand "Oh really? How good of you! Tell me, Miss Ollivander, how are you liking England?"

She looked up from behind her hair and signed quickly, 'It rains a lot more than back home, I like the rain.'

"Albus, cut to the chase. Why am I here and not at home with my feet up and drinking whiskey from the bottle?" Garrick cut the pleasantries. Juliet breathed a silent giggle and put her hand to cover her mouth.

The portrait sighed and looked down to the floor, "I wanted to make sure that one of my oldest friends made it out alive, unlike me. I had to see for myself that you were alright. It was such a shame that you were a prisoner of war."

Garrick grunted softly in agreement and looked off into the distance, "Getting an order of Merlin I hear. For what? Sitting around in a cell?"

Albus had the elves bring them tea and sandwiches as well as another chair for Juliet. The men talked for hours about the war from start to finish and she listened to all the details about the war that the papers left out. The sun came in through the high windows and cast their rays throughout the room until they finally hit the large golden urn that the small elf had placed on top of the bookcase. Its reflection shot right at Albus's portrait and caused him to flinch and cover his eyes.

"Oh my! That is bright!" he exclaimed through his hands he had up to block the blinding light. Both Ollivanders looked around for the source of the light. Juliet pointed to the vase at the top of the shelf an Albus smiled.

"If it's not too much to ask dear, would you mind getting up there and moving it for me? I don't know why the elves even put that up there!" he asked politely.

She nodded and stood with her satchel still on her shoulder. She quietly made her way over to the bookshelf and looked up at the urn that was far too tall for her to reach. Albus called out for her to use the ladder on the other side of the wall. She turned and locked eyes with Severus' portrait.

They were both caught off guard with each other. Severus had a blank expression on his face instead of the usual scowl. He felt like he knew this girl, somehow and someway he knew her. Juliet blinked at him a few times and bit her lip. She stepped closer and looked up at him with her big silver eyes. Any other person in the world and he would have spit out cruel words and a given them glare that sent first years running.

He couldn't. He didn't know why but he was just stuck and fixated on her. Her eyes traveled over his face and landed on a faint scar he had on his upper lip. She slowly raised her hand and reached up to touch it. Severus held his breath and leaned forward slightly, well as much as his frame would let him. Her hand gently touched the canvas where his scar was painted and he briefly closed his eyes. He couldn't feel it but he could imagine that it was warm and soft.

"Ah yes, that is Severus Snape! A brave man he is! We won the war because of him, without him-" Albus called out. She pulled her hand back quickly as if burned.

"Silence you old fool!" Severus hissed at Albus while he continued to stare at Juliet.

She blushed and finally looked away, hiding behind her hair and grabbing the ladder. She moved it to the bookshelf she needed and climbed up it slowly. Severus watched her move cautiously and look back over her shoulder at him. She smiled softly and continued up the ladder. Albus and Garrick went back to talking as Juliet moved the urn. Severus watched her climb up and reach for the golden vessel.

It all happened so quickly that no one but Severus saw exactly what happened. The ladder gave way with a loud crash, Juliet was holding the golden urn and fell backwards to the floor. Severus yelled out for her to watch out. Juliet let go of it and it flipped and golden sand spilled out. As soon as it touched her skin she vanished before hitting the ground. Severus banged his fists on the canvas and gripped the surrounding frame tightly. His instincts kicked in to save her but there was nothing he could do. She was gone.

Garrick shot up out of his chair and kicked his cane over. He limped to where Juliet should have been and pulled his wand out. "WHERE IS SHE?"

"She just vanished! The urn broke, and something spilled out." Severus said.

Garrick looked around and saw some of the golden sand on the floor by the bookshelf. He waved his wand over it and turned suddenly to Albus. "Sand from a time turner. What the hell happened to her?!"

Albus's eyes twinkled over his glasses, and he held his hands up "Oops."

Severus gritted his teeth and gripped the side of his frame tighter.

Garrick moved across the room quickly for an old man who was still recovering. He had his wand out and pointed to his painting. "What do you mean oops? Explain- now!"

Albus held his hands up and shrugged his shoulders. Before he could answer Severus, cut him off. "Yes, tell us what you've done to the poor girl with the urn you strategically placed before they arrived."

Garrick's eyes went wide at first then he scowled and kicked the chair over in anger, "I see even in your death you're still a meddling old fool! What the hell happened to my granddaughter?!" he didn't let his injury get in the way of his wrath.

"I sent her to the past. So she can save us from the war and make things right."

"YOU SENT HER TO THE WAR?!" both men yelled.

"Of course not! I sent her to 1975, right before the war. She sat here with us and listened to every detail that happened and with that knowledge, she can warn the past me and save millions of lives." He explained.

"You mean your life. All the years of the 'greater good speech' were just you talking out of your ass! You selfish bastard!" Garrick yelled angrily.

He dropped his wand and stepped back suddenly while he clutched his head. Severus did the same in his portrait. Both men saw flashes of Juliet in their minds as their past started to alter and change with memories of her. Garrick leaned against the desk with one hand and said "Curse you Albus Dumbledore! If you come out of this alive I will fucking kill you myself!"

* * *

Juliet silently screamed as she fell for what seemed like hours. She could see the office around her change in lighting and furniture but there was nothing more than a deafening silence. She watched in fear as people quickly moved in and out of the room with speed she couldn't keep up with. She saw Albus alive and kicking, literally. She watched Albus' old figure move around the room doing poses that a man his age shouldn't even try to do. Then it all slowed down and she finally hit the ground, at least it didn't feel like the ground.

She landed on an invisible cushion and bounced twice before being gently lowered to the ground. She got up quickly and stumbled, losing her balance and getting dizzy. She reached her hand out and gripped one of the shelves to catch herself.

"Hello, Miss Ollivander. I've been expecting you." A voice said from behind her.

She jumped and stepped back quickly. She looked up to see Albus Dumbledore alive and smiling down at her. He wore deep purple robes with a gold lining on them and his beard wasn't as long as she had last seen. She opened her mouth to scream, nothing came out but the fear was the same, and she ran past him, she looked around the room for her grandfather but only found Albus. She whistled for him but got no response from Garrick. He wasn't there. She started to panic and hyperventilate.

"Calm down. Please have a seat, and I'll explain everything." He said calmly and held the chair out for her to sit.

She shook her head no and backed into a corner of the room that she had seen Severus' portrait in. The wall was bare with no sign of a frame ever being mounted there. 'You're alive, looking younger and I just fell for an hour watching people move backward. When am I?'

Albus chuckled and stroked his beard "Smart one you are! I knew I chose the right person. Come, I'll tell you all about it over tea." He said and walked back to his desk. "As you know Voldemort is on the rise to power. If I sent you that means either we lost or something went wrong. Today's date is July 15th, 1975."

She gasped and sat down in the chair he offered her before. 'The war was over! We finally achieved peace-'

"At what cost? How many lives were lost? See that's why my future self sent you. You were not here during the war so your involvement wont interfere with anything. I would have sent you with information that I needed to make the changes and save people." He said and handed her a cup of tea.

'I'll tell you everything you need to know then send me back.' She said and ignored the cup. Instead, she wiped the tears that had formed in her eyes on the back of her sleeve.

He chuckled and sipped his tea with his little finger out. "I'm afraid that's not how it works. If only it were that simple, Miss Ollivander. You are our only link to the future. Any time we change something in the past, it affects the outcome of the war. Thus changing your memory of how the war ended. I need you to tell me what changes and how so I can make the proper changes here in my time and save lives."

She sobbed into her hands and curled up in her chair; she couldn't believe that she was sent into the past during the war and now she couldn't go back home. 'I want my Papa.' She signed and continued to cry.

Albus sighed and rested his hands on the desk in front of him calmly "Miss Ollivander, you were sent to be a hero. Your name will-"

She stood up and stomped her foot angrily. Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she signed 'I may be stuck here, but I won't put up with your lies!'

"Lies?"

'You knew my name when I came. You've been planning this. You could have easily sent anyone else, and there are a hundred people who would have eagerly jumped at the opportunity to come back. So you give it to me straight.' She signed angrily and pointed an accusing finger at him.

Albus flinched at her words and sighed before answering, "You're right. I'm sorry for insulting your intelligence, Miss Ollivander. But it just further proves that I chose right. You aren't the first person that I've sent back to this moment. I have tried to send back people who were involved or were close to the war. All the outcomes ended in one disaster after the other. The time you came from- THAT was the outcome of the last attempt."

She sat back in her chair defeated and in shock. Her mouth was hanging open and she was stunned. Albus took the opportunity to continue, "I sent you back at an exact moment. The time of day, the alignment of the stars, the exact amount of time turner sand. Unfortunately at this point, it would be nearly impossible to send you back. I am sorry for dragging you into this, but what I can promise you is that you will be taken care of."

She snapped out of it at his words 'You said nearly. So there is a way for me to go back! So I'll write down all the instructions on how not to kill yourself, and then you just send me back home.'

Albus chuckled "Nothing gets past you does it? Ah-I believe we have a visitor."

Before she could ask what he was talking about a knock came from the office door, it opened and a younger, healthier Garrick stepped in and closed it behind him. His hair was black with silver just starting at his temples. He wore light grey robes with a black cloak. Juliet jumped up and rushed forward to him and threw herself around his middle.

"Oof! Um, I'm sorry. Do I know you, miss?" he asked awkwardly as she stood stiffly in her embrace.

She jumped back and blushed brightly. Albus stood and moved around the desk to shake his hand, "Garrick, thank you for coming on short notice. I know its busy time for you with summer shoppers. This is Miss Juliet Ollivander."

Garrick shook his head in disbelief and did a double take when looking at her, "Ollivander? I'm sorry was there a long lost cousin I didn't know about? My son and I are the only Ollivanders left."

Juliet looked awkwardly at Albus for the answer. He smirked and said "She is your granddaughter. Come and sit while we have tea."

* * *

"Let me get this straight. My son grows up, marries and has a daughter-which is you. He raises you in Rome, because I warned him to stay out of the war. Am I right so far? Good. Then the war ends, you come to visit and this fool-which is you, sends you back in time because he doesn't want to die. Did I get it all?" Garrick recapped while he drank from his flask that he had in his inner coat. He pointed and Juliet and Albus at the proper times.

'Yes, Papa.' Juliet signed.

"I'm sorry, I don't know sign language. Not yet, at least." He said and put his flask away.

"I didn't send her back because I died-"

Both Ollivanders shot him a glare that paused his words. They were related after all.

"I sent her back to save millions of lives. We could stop Tom before he reaches his full power!" Albus said and punched his fist in his hand.

Juliet pulled her wand out, and a black ribbon formed the words she couldn't speak so Garrick could understand her 'I'm hearing a lot of "we" and not hearing much of you.'

Garrick let out a bark of laughter, "I like her! She may be mine after all."

Albus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He waved his wand at both of them quickly before they could react and a glowing string of red formed between them, genetics confirmed that Juliet was indeed his granddaughter. Garrick's eyes widened in surprise and nodded slowly.

"Now, we have work to do. I have already enrolled you in the upcoming new school year. You can stay here-"

Garrick jumped in and said "She's staying with me. I'm not leaving her with you! You might send her back to Grindelwald!" Juliet smiled softly at him and reached over to squeeze his arm.

"Fine. But I will need to meet with her once a week. We will tell everyone that she is your daughter-"

"How do you plan for that to be believable when I have a son in Rome?"

"If you stop interrupting me! Not many people know you have a son, really only us and a scroll at the ministry. Slipping her name on that scroll is easy enough-" Albus said

"You've already done it. Haven't you, you bastard." Garrick cursed.

"Stop interrupting me! And yes I have. Story we sell is that she was homeschooled up until now and needs to come to Hogwarts to complete her owls and newts due to ministry regulations. Ah- don't interrupt me. When she graduates she will be hidden by the order to keep her out of the war." Albus said quickly and angrily as he held up a finger to Garrick to stop him from interrupting again.

Juliet waved her wand, 'So that's it? I graduate then hide for the rest of my life? I won't be able to pursue a career or live my life?'

"It won't be for long. With the information that you are bringing us, we can hope to end the war quick." Albus said and stirred his tea.

'The war didn't end until 1998!'

"It will be a lot faster this time, I promise. Now, do you want to be sorted now or at the start of term?" Albus asked and held up the sorting hat.

"Sort her into Ravenclaw now and save her the stress of being sorted with first years." Garrick huffed.

"So sure it will be Ravenclaw? Shall we make a wager?"

"All Ollivander's are Ravenclaw's, just like all Potter's are Gryffindors and all Dumbledore's are arseholes, so if you really want to…then yes. I'll take that bet." Garrick said as a matter of fact.

"Well….perhaps not then." Albus walked around the desk and placed the hat on her head.

"Well, here you are….so many thoughts running through your pretty little head. An Ollivander for certain, but here before your time. Such a temper, just like your grandfather…..RAVENCLAW!" the hat cried out.

Garrick looked smugly at Albus, silently telling him I told you so. "Well, if that's all I would like to take my daughter home."

"One last thing, I set up a fund for her. To pay for her supplies, housing, and living expenses while she's here." Albus said and held out an envelope.

Garrick grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled it away from Albus. "I can provide for my own, we don't need your charity." He said hotly and pulled Juliet towards the door. "Next time, open your floo so I don't have to walk all these damn stairs."

"Goodbye, Miss Ollivander. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer." Albus said and watched them walk out of his office.

Garrick pulled her close when they walked out from behind the gargoyle. "I believe it's time to give you a proper hug. I'm sorry you are being dragged into this, but you are family, and I will do my best to keep you safe and raise you as my own daughter. Don't accept anything from that man- believe me. He will hold it over your head until the end of time."

Juliet smiled and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. 'Thank you, Papa.'

"I think its time for some dinner and you teach me sign language. Come little one, let's go home."


	2. Chapter 2

Diagon Alley was bursting with the life of the crowds that came to buy school supplies. Families rushed to the shops trying to get it all done quick and cheap. It was the same every year, as soon as the supply letters went out the families would come sometime during the same week. It was always the busiest week of the year, and Juliet was at the wand shop helping her grandfather. Her duties as a wandmaker apprentice were starting out with doing the chores. She would clean up the shop, restock, take out the trash and cook lunch for them.

Severus was running for his life through the back alleys of the city. The Marauders hot on his heels with their wands drawn. They had jumped him two streets over and Potter got in a lucky punch. He had split his upper lip right under his nostril and he had blood running down his chin. It stained the light grey long sleeve he was wearing. He had managed to push him into his other friends and take off running. They shot out stunner spells and leg lock jinxes at him as he ran. Red and purple spells hit the buildings and scorched the bricks. They may have outnumbered him but he would always be faster.

He cursed his terrible luck and his friend Lucius. He told his mother they should have come at the end of summer when all of the closeout sales were happening so they could afford his supplies. Except Lucius had sent him an owl to invite him to Malfoy Manor for the remainder of the summer. So his mother sent him alone with his few galleons to get his supplies and meet his friend. They were supposed to meet at noon in front of the bank, but Lucius wasn't there like he had said he would be. The Marauders were.

He turned the corner into another alley and looked back to see if he lost them. He didn't see the large trash can that belonged to the wand shop. He hit it hard and fell, knocking over all the trash that was inside of it. His black jeans now covered in dirt and grime.

Juliet stood frozen on the top step of the back door. She was holding a new bag of trash that she was about to throw out. She dropped it and rushed to Severus who started to sit up. He looked up suddenly with his fist ready to defend himself. She didn't flinch at his sudden movement. Instead, she knelt by him with her hand hovering over his face. They locked eyes, and both froze, she knew those eyes, and he was shocked by the silver color and caring emotion behind them.

"Sniff him out, Moony! Where's he at boy?" a voice said from where Severus just came from.

"Shut up! That's now how it works!" another voice said, followed by the laughter of other voices.

Severus jumped to his feet quickly, but before he could take off running again he felt a pull and he went forward. Juliet grabbed two fists full of his shirt and pulled him up the steps and into a hidden alcove by the back door. He was about to open his mouth in protest but she put her finger to her lip and gave him a "Shh."

"He went this way!"

They heard the sound of feet and yelling get close. She pushed him against the wall and pressed herself flush against him with her forehead pressed against his shoulder. His breath hitched at her touch, her breasts pressed against him and her arms around his middle. He inhaled the scent of her hair, vanilla. His mind was in a fog from getting his ass kicked to being pressed against a large chested girl in an alley. He suddenly shivered at the contact she was giving him. He wasn't used to anyone touching him in such a way that wasn't in anger or to cause pain.

The boys chasing him passed by them and rounded the corner going the other way. Juliet stepped out from their hiding spot and peeked out into the alley to make sure they were gone. Severus got to take a better look at the girl who helped him. She was a lot shorter than him, her head coming up to his chin. Her hair as black as his but wavy and it went to her mid-back; her skin was a tanned light brown compared to his pale color. Her black pleated skirt ended mid thigh; her light blue blouse was low cut into a V-neck.

She turned her head, and he got a better look at her face. Big silver eyes looked up at him with such concerned he didn't know what to do. People usually looked at him in disgust or hatred. His eyes traveled back down to the breasts that were pushed against him a few moments earlier. They were larger than most he'd seen on other girls, and he spotted something shiny right above the cut of her low cut blouse. The silver chain around her neck led to a silver cross that lay against her skin above her breasts.

The cross confused him, magical people weren't religious. Only muggles and muggleborns were, and even when they came to the magical world they stopped practicing their faith. She stepped forward to him and pointed to his bleeding lip. Before he could say anything the sound of his attackers came but closer.

"He must have backtracked this way- let's go!"

Her eyes got wide, and she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the wand shop. She closed the door quickly behind them and shut the blinds. They paused and waited as they watched the shadows move behind the off white shades. He looked down at their still joined hands, did she know she was still touching him? He thought his palm was going to start sweating because the amount of contact she was giving him was making him lose focus.

"He's around here somewhere. Look at this." A voice said.

"Think he went in here?" another asked.

Severus pulled her away from the window and put her behind him instinctively. He drew his wand and pointed it at the door, waiting for them to break in. One of the shadows got close to the door and put their hand up to the window to try and peek in.

Then they tried to open it and the handle jiggled. Then a loud bang was heard and a bright flash of blue came through the window. A yelp was heard and laughter from the other voices. That was Potter getting shocked by the wards on the door. Severus smirked triumphantly and looked down at Juliet who gave him a huge smile.

"Damn it! Old man Ollivander is a paranoid old fart! It shocked the hell out of me!" Potter said angrily.

The voice of Peter could be heard with his squeaky laugh "Dare you to do it again, Prongs!"

"Lets go, he's long gone. I wanna hit up the broom shop."

Ollivander? Severus didn't know he was behind the wand shop or that this girl had pulled him into it. He suddenly looked around and saw the narrow rows of high built shelves that were filled with to the brim with boxes of wands. Severus panicked, if Ollivander knew he was back here, he would be in a mess of trouble. He was about to step towards the door, but she grabbed his hand again and pulled him further into the shop.

She led him through a side door that led to a kitchen with a large island in the center with stools on both sides. She pushed him towards one of the seats and he obeyed. He was so thrown off at this point he didn't fight anything right now. She went to the cupboard by the window and pulled out a small tin box. She placed it in front of him and opened it. She pulled out gauze and a small vial of what he assumed to be dittany.

She soaked the gauze in the potion and moved towards him. She reached for his face and paused, waiting for his approval. He nodded slightly and watched her take care of him. No one had ever taken this much attention to him in his life. Not his so called friend Lily or his mother. Nor had he ever received this much physical contact that wasn't painful.

He winced and hissed at the burn of the potion closing his skin. She used another piece of gauze and a different potion to clean his face of the blood. When she finished she grabbed his hands one by one, looking for more injuries. She found blood on his sleeve and rolled it up and healed the scrape on his elbow and the cut on his hand from when he ran into the trashcan.

When she finished, she threw the bloody bandages in the trash and put the medical kit back on the shelf. She pulled out her wand and cleaned the blood and dirt from his clothes then went to the stove. She grabbed a bowl, she lifted the lid on the pot, and a delicious smell hit his nose. She filled the bowl and set it in front of him; it was tomato basil. Then she made a sandwich and placed it on a plate in front of him as well, then a bottle of butterbeer. Her smile hit him in the chest, and he nodded his head in thanks and started eating. It was only polite after all wasn't it? She made herself a bowl and plate and sat across from him. They ate in silence and watched each other.

It was the best food he'd ever tasted! With a full mouth, he pointed to his plate then to her, implying she made it. She nodded and blushed, then ducked her face behind her bangs. He felt his heartbeat increase, and he swallowed the mouthful of food with a loud gulp. Who the hell was this girl? Not once did she say anything to him, not ask his name or why he was running from those people. All the females he ever encountered never shut up. He matched her silence, being the Slytherin he was, he was on her playing field and in her home so to speak.

When they finished she took their empty plates and bottles, she returned with a satchel and a cloak. She placed a few wrapped sandwiches, a thermos full of soup and two bottles of butterbeer in the satchel. She handed him the cloak and he put it on. It was too short for him and it ended at his knees. With another wave of her wand it altered and fit him perfectly. While he looked down at the cloak wrapped around him she stepped forward and made to put her arms around his neck.

He froze in shock, was she going to hug him?! She pulled his hood up and over his head and bent his head so she could reach and his hair fell in his eyes. He took the opportunity to take a very good look at the crevice of her breasts; he was a Slytherin after all. The vanilla scent hit him again, and he nearly groaned.

When he lifted his head, she smiled at him and handed him the satchel of goodies. He raised it over his head and secured it on his shoulder. He bowed his head in thanks again. Who the hell was this girl? She crooked a finger at him to follow her and led him through a different door. He briefly wished that she would hold his hand again. It was the front of the wand shop where all the customers came in through. It was empty for their lunch hour. She reached over to one of the cubbies under the counter and held up a wand holster for the arm.

He held his wand arm out to her, and she rolled his sleeve up again. The hairs on his arm stood up as she touched his skin and strapped it to him. He took his wand out and holstered it. He reached for his money in his pocket but she shook her head and stopped his arm then fixed his sleeve. He fought back the shiver that ran down his spine, what the hell was in that soup?

She walked to the front door and unlocked the deadbolt, she held the door open for him and let him pass. He turned towards her once he was on the doorstep, he didn't know what to say. Thank you? I'm sorry about your trash can? She gave him a shy smile then blushed and ducked her head so her hair covered most of her face. She didn't know what to say either, he guessed.

Doing the proper thing, in case she was a pureblood, he held his hand out for hers. She placed her hand gently in his and he bent to kiss the top of it. Lucius had told him that if he wanted to get anywhere in the wizarding world then he needed to play by pureblood standards. The nameless shop girl was a good place to start. His lips gently grazed the top of her skin and she bit her lip shyly.

He tilted his head in thanks and turned to follow the flow of the crowd towards Gringotts. Halfway down the alley he looked back to the shop and thought about what just happened. He had no idea and was confused about the whole situation.

* * *

"There you are! I've been waiting for an hour!" Lucius said impatiently and stood up straight. He had been leaning with his shoulder against the outside wall of the bank.

Severus lowered the hood of his cloak and smoothed his hair down, "Bullshit, I was here an hour ago, and I got jumped."

"Jumped? Was it those idiotic "Marauders" again?" he asked and nodded his head for Severus to follow him further down the street.

"Yeah. I was outnumbered four to one. Where the hell were you?" they moved through the crowd towards Knockturn Alley.

"My father had me drop off some important documents to our solicitor in the bank, so I was inside when you came. You must have handled those Gryffindors pretty well; you don't look too worse for wear." Lucius said and looked him up and down.

Severus looked down at himself as well and said, "There was a girl…and she helped me." He didn't know how to explain what just happened.

"A girl beat Potter and his friends for you?" he raised his brow and scowled in disgust. He led him into a small pub that they could have lunch in before they left the city. Lucius held the door open for Severus and let him enter first.

"What? No! I don't know how to explain it- no thanks I already ate." Severus said as he sat down. The waiter handed them the menus and took Severus' back.

"Well tell me about this girl then," Lucius said then ordered their drinks.

"I was running through the alley because Potter and his friends were chasing me. Then she just showed up suddenly! She hid me in the back of the wand shop. Then she healed my cuts and made me lunch!" Severus said. He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth, but it was the truth.

"The wand shop? What girl at the wand shop?" Lucius asked, he was completely interested now.

Their drinks arrived, and Severus took a long sip from his butterbeer before explaining, "I guess she works there or something, I don't know. She made me a sandwich and soup. Then she packed me food to go- look." He pulled a sandwich out of the satchel and held it up.

"Really? Well what's her name?" he asked excitedly.

"I- I don't know. She never said anything."

Lucius quirked an eyebrow at his friend, "So this girl hides you, heals you, feeds you, dresses you and sends you away with goodies?"

"Yes…" Severus said awkwardly as if he was unsure of his answer.

"Are you sure you didn't get hit on the head?" he laughed.

"I'm telling the truth! Look, she gave me this cloak too. And this wand holster and wouldn't let me pay for it." Severus rolled up his sleeve and showed him.

"But she didn't speak a word to you, give you a name, take your money or ask for a favor?"

"Right."

Lucius narrowed his eyes at him, "Ollivander never hires any help. Ever. So there wouldn't be a shop girl…"

"Maybe she was his daughter or-or a relative," Severus suggested.

"Daughter? Hah! That old man doesn't have any children. Either you're making this up, or you saw a ghost." His friend laughed.

Severus scowled and felt his ears get hot; he didn't like being called a liar. "Whatever." He said hoping to drop the topic. He knew what happened in great detail and that was enough for him.

Lucius went on to talk about the important things his father included him in on, but Severus just toned him out. He couldn't get his mind off the girl. After they paid for their drinks, Lucius led him to the floo to head back to his home.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the summer went by quickly for Severus, he couldn't get the girl from the wand shop out of his head. When he first arrived and had dinner with Lucius and his father, his mother had passed away two years ago, and he was his usual quiet self but his mind was miles away. He always looked forward to the delicious meals that the Malfoy elves prepared for them. He was lucky to eat at all in his own home so having regular meals during the summer was extremely rare for him. While he ate the roasted duck all he could think about was eating the wrapped sandwich that he left back in his room.

"Father, does Mr. Ollivander have a daughter?" Lucius asked suddenly. Severus snapped out of his trance and his head shot up to look at the older Malfoy.

"Ollivander? Oh Merlin! Of course not. The old codger better have an heir soon though, he's the last of his bloodline. It would be a shame if one of the Sacred 28 went extinct because he flew for the other team." Abraxas laughed and sipped his whiskey.

Lucius smirked at Severus as if telling him I told you so. Severus scowled at him and stabbed at his potatoes. "What about employees? Does he have any help in that shop he owns?"

"Thinking of becoming a wand maker?" Abraxas asked with a slight hint of disgust.

"Oh no, I'm merely thinking of possible business ventures. If he has no heirs and he is the only wandmaker of Britain, then what will happen? Will we have to go to Germany for our wands?" he replied smoothly.

"Ah, always looking at the bigger picture. You'll make a fine businessman one day. As far as I know the old man runs it by himself. I know he was married but his wife passed away quite some time ago."

Lucius looked at Severus and tilted his head and the corner of his mouth turned up. Severus huffed and shoved another forkful of food into his mouth.

* * *

Summer passed by quickly and Severus and Lucius met the rest of their Slytherin friends on the train back to school. In public they were prime examples of proper pureblood standards. Locked in a train cabin they were typical teenage boys with cursing, yelling and wrestling. Lucius thought it would be hilarious to tell them of Severus' "imaginary girlfriend."

"You didn't shag her?" Nott asked.

"What- No! Why would I?" Severus asked suddenly.

"Why not?" Yaxley asked and clicked his tongue while making a rude gesture with his wand.

"She was asking for it, duh!" Avery shouted.

Rowle leaned forward in his seat and put his elbows on his knees, "She healed you, fed you and clothed you- no brainer. She wanted you to bang her." He ticked off his fingers as he spoke.

"You're assuming she's real. I've never seen anyone in that shop except Ollivander. My father said the old man has no children or hired help." Lucius said and shoved his shoulder into Severus who was sitting next to him.

"I'm not lying. She-"

"What about Evans?" Yaxley asked.

"Who?" Severus asked then caught himself and rolled his eyes.

Mulciber gave a low whistle and said "Must be some girl, if she makes you forget about the Mudblood." Before Severus could argue his friends busted out in a loud roar of laughter.

"You said she was about our age, Yeh? So she should be a student! We just gotta look for her and then we'll know she's real." Regs suggested.

"Yesssss!" Lucius agreed eagerly as he pointed to Regs who stood up suddenly

"Wait-no! Where are you going?" Severus asked and stood up to follow him.

"To find your mystery girl." He said and slid the door open with a loud bang. He threw it open so hard it almost bounced back and hit him. He stepped into the corridor and cupped his hands to his mouth, "WAND GIRL! WHERE ARE YOU, OH WAND GIRL?!"

The group of seventh year Hufflepuff girls that were passing jumped aside and quickly moved away. Regs bowed in greeting suddenly, seeing some of them being purebloods and making sure to uphold his proper manners. "Ladies."

Severus grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the cabin roughly. "What the hell are you doing?" he hissed.

One of the Gryffindor prefect boys came over and stood in the doorway of their cabin. "Trains coming to a stop soon. Make sure you're dressed and seated."

"Yes sir!" some of them gave a mock salute and went to their trunks.

"You know there is a max occupancy, right?" he said and crossed his arms.

"Yeah one dickhead per train, thanks for filling the quota." Mulciber said sarcastically and slammed the cabin door shut in his face. "Uppity fucker." He mumbled under his breath as he sat back down.

They dressed as the train pulled into Hogsmeade. What his friends said made sense, if she was their age then she should be here. He felt his heartbeat race at the thought of meeting her again. Maybe she was on the train this whole time! He tried not to seem eager when getting off the train but his friends saw right through that.

Severus walked through the crowd with his head held high, looking around for any sign of the girl from the wand shop. They decided to help him find her by pointing all the girls that were "dark haired and yay high."

"That one?" Avery asked as he nodded to the girl on their left.

"No." he shook his head.

"That one?" Nott asked and pointed at another.

"No." he said again.

"The one over by the lamp post?" Mulciber asked.

"Which one?" Severus asked as he craned his neck.

"Either." Lucius replied impatiently.

"No."

They groaned and rolled their eyes. They were getting bored very quickly. "Come on, lets just get a carriage." Yaxley said and nudged Avery's elbow.

"Yeah, she prolly doesn't exist anyway." Regs snorted and the rest of them laughed

They all followed Yaxley to the front of the line. A few students complained about them cutting ahead but no one did anything. Severus kept his eyes peeled for her, ignoring the fact that he walked right past Lily. She was so used to Severus staring at her or trying to apologize that she already prepared to tell him to leave her alone. But her mouth just stayed hanging open as he didn't even look at her once, he kept looking around everywhere else as if expecting someone.

"Wow, what a jerk. He didn't even say hello." Her friend Alice said as she curled her lip in disgust at him in passing.

"Whatever, he probably finally got it in his head that I'm not talking to him anymore." She said and flicked her hair over her shoulder.

* * *

When they finally got to sit down at the Slytherin table Severus had given up hope. She wasn't here, at least from what he could tell. He didn't see his raven haired girl anywhere and it instantly put him in a foul mood. They all settled down and got quiet when their Headmaster stood at the podium to make his annual speech.

"Hello again! I hope you all had a very pleasant summer and are all ready to come back to school and hit the books." he greeted and laughed.

If there were crickets, they would have been heard. "Few announcements…" he continued on about the forbidden forest and other rules set by Mr. Filch. Mulciber yawned dramatically and they snickered.

"We also have a new addition to our student body! Miss Juliet Ollivander will be starting her 5th year with the house of Ravenclaw. She comes to us from Rome." He announced. Minerva came in through the main door with the first years following her. In the very front of the little group was a taller student, Juliet.

Severus's head perked up immediately and he looked around madly for her. It had to be the girl he met! His friends looked at him with shocked expressions, he wasn't lying about the girl after all. All of the students looked around for a new girl and zoned in on her as she entered. The hall buzzed with excitement of the new student that was joining them.

Severus spotted her as soon as she stepped into the Great Hall. He locked onto her like a predator spotting its prey. He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table, letting his hair fall over his face.

Avery leaned over and asked "That one?"

All of his friends looked at him expectantly. He gave a small nod and said "That one."

"Where is she….ah yes! Thank you, Professor. Miss Ollivander, if you please." He said and called her to stand next to him at the podium. Juliet stood next to him with her hands folded in front of her and trying to hide behind her bangs.

"Now, Miss Ollivander is unable to speak. She is mute and can either use sign language or her wand to communicate with us." He waved his hand towards the Ravenclaw table for her to go and join her classmates. "I trust that you will all be courteous and show her a very warm welcome to Hogwarts."

She quickly went to the table and sat next to a boy with wavy blond hair and a girl with glasses. They smiled at her and welcomed her to their house. His friends sat there with their mouths hanging open as they watched her. Their heads turning from her to Severus.

"Son of a bitch…" Yaxley cursed quietly.

"Snape wasn't lying." Nott said to Lucius who agreed.

During the sorting ceremony he watched her from across the great hall. The Slytherin and the Ravenclaw tables were right next to each other but they were at different ends. She was closer to the head table where he was closer to the door. He watched her politely smile and answer yes or no questions to her new housemates as she ate dinner. Somehow he felt that Ravenclaw blue suited her very nicely. Luckily she wasnt a Gryffindor! He barely touched his plate because he was so focused on her. She'd look even better if he took those colors off of her. He shook his head and snapped out of the dark train of thought.

"So your mystery girl has a name. Wonder if she's the wand maker's kid or niece." Mulciber said as he picked at his desert.

"I can't believe she's real-no offence Snape ." Nott said.

"It's not that she's real. It's that she's really hot!" Yaxley said a little too loud. Severus' head spun around and he scowled at him. The blond boy held his hands up in surrender.

"So you gonna go talk to her right? Introduce us, will you?" Avery asked and wiggled his eyebrows.

Severus' eyebrows shot up and he stuttered "What- I can't- I mean-"

Lucius flicked his long hair over his shoulder and sat up straight "Yes, Severus. Introduce us to your friend."

His palms started to sweat "I can't. I don't know what to say. What the hell would I say?" he asked him in a low panicked voice.

The prefects stood and started to round the students up. Large groups of students from each house started to leave out the giant doors. The hall grew loud with laughter and talking. Juliet was one of the first groups out of the hall that walked down the center aisle. She still didn't see him, especially when she was much shorter than the other students in her year.

"Where's Regs?" Nott asked and looked around.

"Over there. Looks like he's going to talk to the new girl." Rowle said and pointed at him from across the hall.

Severus spun around and saw Regulus Black greet Juliet with a formal bow and kiss her hand. Regs had been Severus' friend the second he sat next to him in the great hall. He was a year younger than him and the brother of one of his mortal enemies but he was more on par with Severus mentally. He hated his brother as much as Severus did and that was something they had in common. Now his friend was touching his girl.

"That son of a bitch!" Severus cursed and clenched his fists at his side. The thought he had of claiming her as his girl didn't register with him, he was too pissed.  _How dare he?_  Severus started to make his way over to them with his other friends hot on his tail.

"Oh! Regs is making a move on your girl, Snape!" Rowle teased.

"I didn't know she was fair game…" Avery said as they pushed their way through the crowd.

Severus stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the wavy haired boy from her house get in between her and Regs and put an arm around her.

"THAT son of a bitch!" Nott said angrily about the wavy haired boy. He looked back to Severus as if saying 'well, now what?'

That didn't stop Regs from giving her a dashing smile and a flirty wink before the other boy led her up the stairs towards Ravenclaw tower. He walked over to join back up with his friends.

"Oi!" Yaxley said angrily to him as he approached.

"What the fuck, mate?" Avery asked.

"Well you were all gossiping I went to introduce myself. Welcome her to Hogwarts and what not." Regs said and put his hands in his pockets.

"Alright you lot, get moving." Filch said, ushering them out of the great hall. They started to make their way towards the dungeons.

Severus didn't say anything, his teeth were clenched and he walked stiffly along. He was obviously upset but he couldn't wrap his head around it all. She wasn't his girl to be jealous of. They weren't even friends or knew each other really. She helped him once and that was it. She didn't like him, she just pitied him the one time and did her good deed of the day. He didn't have a shot in hell with a girl like that.

"What's up with that bastard Lockhart?" Rowle asked.

"Just being the typical territorial douchebag." He shrugged and frowned slightly.

Severus started to grind his teeth, trying to keep his jealousy in check. Lucius saw this and smirked. He knew Severus better than any of them and he was going to have fun.

"What not? What does "what not" entail?" Lucius asked knowing it was getting at Severus.

"I invited her to the welcoming party this weekend and offered to help her study." He said as he walked into the common room. Every year the Slytherins had a welcome back party after the first week of school. Anyone a fifth year and up who was invited could come. There were always alcohol involved of course.

"So like your date?" Lucius asked with a fake innocent voice.

"Goddamn it!" Severus snapped and dove at his friend. They wrestled on the floor by the boys staircase. The boys broke them up after a few seconds.

"Settle down. Regs, you know that Severus likes her." Lucius said.

"No I don't!" he said suddenly. He didn't. Did he?

"Riiiiight." Yaxley said as he held one of his upper arms. He was one of the ones who pulled them apart.

"I just went over and said hello." Regs defended.

"With your lips?" Lucius said and smirked at Severus. He was having way too much fun.

"Argh!" Severus lunged at Regs again but Yaxley and Avery held him back.

"Doesn't matter anyway, Lockhart said she's going with him." Regs said with a disappointed look.

Severus felt his gut drop. She was already dating someone?! He shrugged out of his friends grasp and stormed down the staircase to his dorm. "I'm going to bed."

They waited for him to be out of earshot before they spoke again. "Maaaaaaaate." Mulciber said to Rowle and put his hands in front of his chest to cup large imaginary breasts.

"Maaaaaaaate." Rowle replied and smirked while doing the same with his hands. They were talking in reference to Juliet's chest.

* * *

Severus laid in bed with his arms behind his head in deep thought.  _Juliet_. No wonder she never spoke, she couldn't and she probably assumed that he didn't know sign language. But he did! His mother taught him sign language when he was a child. It was a way for them to communicate to each other when his father was home. They were to never be seen or heard when he was around or else they would feel his wrath.

She probably wouldn't want anything to do with him. He was worried that if he tried to talk to her she would pretend not to know him. Lily used to do that to him when she met new people. Lily. He made a disgusted face at the thought of her now. She used him and led him on for years. He carried her books, did her homework, snuck to the kitchens after hours for her and trek across the bloody castle because she craved cookies. She knew he was touch starved and used it to her advantage.

The way she would touch his shoulder when she wanted something. He craved the physical contact so bad he said yes to it all. Then she would put her hand on his arm and get her way with everything. His friends tried to tell him for years but he wouldn't listen. It wasn't until the end of last year when he was finally at the boiling point of his tolerance. She never cared about his wants or needs and dragged him through shit that year. Potter and his friends were constantly making fun of him and attacking him for no reason and she wouldn't stand up to him. She acted as if she didn't know him at all. Then when they were alone she would tell him to let it go.

Yeah he said it. He wasn't going to deny it. He called her a Mudblood in anger and she ended their friendship. He could have used so many other names but when you're suspended upside down in the air for the world to see, you use what comes to mind first. He was actually on his way to tell her that he was done with her high priorities and shitty friendship when the Marauders intercepted him. For the record he did try to apologize and be mature about things but she wouldn't have it. All the pranks and attacks from the Marauders increased tenfold.

Then he met Juliet and all thoughts of the redheaded Gryffindor were taken over by the little Ravenclaw that helped him. The jealousy in the back of his mind wouldn't go away when he thought of Regs and Lockhart. He just needed to get her out of his system, because all he wanted to do was think about her touching him again. Merlin he was fucked up, he thought as he rolled over and closed his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

The first week of school was overwhelming for Juliet, but at least she had made a friend! The girl with glasses she met at the welcoming feast was named Dani Flanagan. She joked about her father wanting a boy and not bothering to improvise on her name other than the spelling. She was a pureblood Irish witch and she only had a bit of an Irish accent. She was a bit taller than Juliet and had medium length brown curly hair. She was fair skinned with a few freckles across her nose and cheeks. A young Gilderoy Lockhart just happened to be sitting there and took it upon himself to be her official guide. Juliet saw red flags instantly when he gave her the stunning smile and said his name.

She remembered him from her timeline. His worldwide book sales and convention tours where he charged people to hear him talk. Then he came out a few years later as a phony who had his own spell backfire on him. It was all over the news and radio, Juliet always thought he was a prat before the truth came out. It seemed like his younger self was also a prat but she always tried to be polite and give most people the benefit of the doubt.

After dinner the first night he got too touchy feely for her and she shrugged him off as soon as she could and put Dani between them. Dani told her he was always like that and everyone pretty much ignored him when they could. She also explained how she thought he was a bit socially awkward because he couldn't take any hints of queues from people's body language or blunt words.

"Don't worry though, if he bothers you too much I'll pan him out for ye." She let her Irish accent slip through.

In their shared dorm she met the rest of her fellow 5th year roommates. Ellen MacDougal was another Irish pureblood girl who was taller than them all. She had black hair that she always kept up in a ponytail and had a slender build. She was a chaser on the Ravenclaw quidditch team. All of her friends nicknamed her "Mack" which she preferred.

"You're from Rome eh? They play quidditch there?" was the first thing she asked her.

'They do but they are more focused on football than anything.' Juliet replied with her wand.

"Football? Isn't that a muggle sport?" Mack asked.'

'It's huge back home, both muggle and magic folk play. They passed a law-' Juliet caught herself before we revealed anything about the future. 'They are trying to pass a law to join their leagues since the rules are the same.'

"Oh I know what football is! It's huge in the states right? With the funny looking pads?" another girl asked. her name was Amelia.

Amelia Bones greeted Juliet with a hug and a huge smile. She had very curly red hair that was pinned up in a bun all the time. She was very feminine but the quite one of the group until Juliet came around. She helped Juliet unpack her trunk and sort her school supplies that she would need on the first day. She too was a pureblood.

'No that's American football. I guess you guys might call it soccer. Right?'

"No, muggles call it football here too. They also have rugby and cricket. I've seen football played, it's pretty intense." Sophie said.

The last girl was the opposite of Juliet, her name was Sophie Brownstone and she was opinionated and loud about it but she was quick witted and sarcastic. Juliet liked her, she thought she was hilarious. She had short blonde hair and had a blue headband that kept her bangs at bay. She was always chewing gum and had a nervous tick of cracking her knuckles. She was a half-blood from England

* * *

Dani woke her up early the next day to sneak out of the tower without Lockhart. Apparently she wasn't new to his antics and overwhelming personality. After taking a long hot shower and dressing in her new uniform with her Ravenclaw colors she let Amelia plait her hair for her. It was a relaxed braid that flowed over her right shoulder, she made sure that Juliet's bangs stayed free per her request.

"You sooooo have to teach us sign language." Mack said from the bed next to hers. "Then we can communicate without people understanding us. So when I say Lockhart is a tool he wont understand!"

"I've called him a tool to his face on more than one occasion. He will never understand, so don't worry. You could call him a prat in seven languages and he would still find a way to turn it into a compliment about himself." Sophie said sarcastically as she put her shoes on.

They all left for breakfast together and pointed out the important things as they passed. "Yeah we have ghosts but they don't do much. Leave them alone and they'll leave you alone. Don't let them catch you out after curfew because they'll snitch you out so fast…. It's peeves that you have to worry about. Don't let him corner you alone either. He got me with a bunch of dirty mop water in my second year. I couldn't get the mold smell out of my hair for a week!" they walked into the hall and took a seat by the door.

Amelia showed her how to order food before breakfast actually started and said not to worry because one of them would always be there to order for her. Juliet loaded her plate with mostly strawberries and toast and thanked her new friend. Their head of house arrived early with schedules and they compared what they had for the day.

"You took every astronomy course available? And extra credit? Wow and ancient runes." Dani said and passed her schedule back.

'I really like astronomy and runes are a requirement for it. I'll see how it goes. Professor Flitwick said if I don't like it I can drop it next semester.' She waved her wand in the air and the little black ribbon spelled out the words quickly.

She was really taking all the astronomy classes because Albus told her that he sent her at an exact moment of time and it had to do with star alignment. If she could figure out the star charts then he could send her back! She didn't believe him for one second that she was stuck here, there was always a way back home. That was one thing her father taught her, no matter where she was she could always come back home. She missed her parents so much but tried not to think about it too often. Her mother was a strong independent woman who said that being emotional over things never got anything done. Keep your head up and get it done.

"Joseph is really good at Arithmancy if you need help, he's our Prefect. I see you are taking the advanced class, good luck. I'm more into charms and spell work than anything." Sophie suggested.

More and more students started to trickle into the hall for the first day of class. Severus walked in with his friends and stopped in his tracks when he saw Juliet. She was laughing with her friends and finishing her breakfast. She turned her head and saw him looking at her. He panicked and felt his ears and cheeks get hot. Her eyes lit up and her mouth formed a giant smile.

He felt the corner of his own mouth starting to lift. She waved at him and began to stand. She was coming over! His heart was racing, she remembered him! Someone slammed into his shoulder and nearly sent him flying.

"Move out of the way Snivellus!" Sirius Black said as he walked past him shoved him with his shoulder.

"Fire hazard standing there like that!" Potter said and shot him in the face with water from his wand.

Severus put his hand up to block it while he reached for his wand. The Marauders had already ran off to their table laughing and pointing at him. Severus felt his face turn red and his temper rise. Everyone nearby started laughing at him and pointing. They made him a fool in front of her! He turned back around to look at her, to see if she was laughing with everyone else.

Lockhart was standing in between them talking loudly "My dear Juliet! You came to breakfast without me? Well perhaps I should have been up earlier then? Never mind that, my dear! I will be the gentleman and escort you to your class." He waved his arms dramatically as he bowed.

Juliet was watching him with a concerned look over Lockhart's shoulder. She's wasn't paying attention to what he was saying and just nodded her head. She tried to walk around him and go see Severus but he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and steered her out of the hall.

Severus stood there drenched as he watched her leave. She tried to shrug Lockhart off but he just kept talking. She reached a hand out to Severus as they passed and mouthed "Are you okay?"

"You don't want to hang around with his kind. Slytherins are bad news." Mack said as they followed them out the doors.

He frowned and dried himself with his wand. He looked at where she was sitting and saw her backpack forgotten on the bench. He walked over and picked it up.

"What class does she have now?" he asked a third year sitting next to it.

"I'm not telling you anything, you dirty Snake! Give me her bag and I'll take-" the boy reached for it.

Severus grabbed him by the blue tie he was wearing and brought him close enough to hear him. "Tell me where she went and I won't make you eat this tie."

"Arithmancy." He squeaked.

He turned and started to walk out the doors with her bag. Avery stopped him "Hey you alright? I saw what happened."

"I'm fine. I have to go." He said quickly and rushed out the door.

"Don't be late for Transfiguration! McGonagall is in a mood today!" He called out to his friend.

"Is she?" a stern voice said from behind him.

Avery felt instant fear as he turned around and saw his Professor towering over him in her dark green robes, looking at him over her half moon glasses. He smiled awkwardly and tried to stutter an answer.

"Five points from Slytherin for talking about a teacher. Now get to class. Hurry, or else I might be in a  _mood_  to give you detention." She said and raised her brow. She waited for him to challenge him but he took off immediately without eating breakfast and a small "Yes ma'am."

* * *

He raced up the stairs two at a time and ran down the corridors. He knew he was going to be late for transfiguration but it would be worth it as long as Juliet didn't get in trouble for showing up to class unprepared. She was standing in front of the classroom door by all the other students with her friends and Lockhart. She managed to put two of her friends between them and she looked sad.

He slowed down and ran a hand through his hair to make sure it wasn't messed up. He cleared his throat loud enough to get her attention. Luckily her friends just kept talking to each other. Juliet turned her head and saw him with her bag and perked up. She smiled and walked away from her friends towards him. The doors opened and everyone filed into the classroom, leaving the two of them alone in the corridor.

She didn't smile or greet him, the worried look on her face bothered him. Was she upset with him? He swallowed nervously and held her bag out to her. She grabbed it and dropped it on the floor with a loud thump. She reached her hands out to his face and cupped his cheeks. His held his breath and froze, what was she doing? She pushed his hair away from his face and turned his head back, forth, up and down. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning at the contact of skin to skin, especially since it was his face. Lily never touched him anywhere but his shoulder or arm. Only once she touched his skin and it was the back of his hand when she wanted him to do her history of magic essay.

'Did they hurt you?' she signed after she pulled her hands away. She paused as if she remembered something and reached for her wand to write the words she was trying to convey.

He answered before she pulled her wand out. "No, they didn't hurt me." This time, he wanted to add.

Her eyes lit up when he responded to her without the aid of her wand. She grabbed his hands one by one, looking for any cuts or scrapes like last time. He turned her hand over in his and bowed formally while pressing his lips to it like he had done the first time they met.

"Her lady of House Ollivander, I am Severus Snape of House Prince." He greeted formally. He had his fingers crossed behind his back that she wouldn't ask why his last name wasn't Prince. Lucius was the one who taught him etiquette of nobility and even though he wasn't a pureblood. The chain of nobility meant naming your bloodline even though you don't carry the name.

She pulled her hand out of his grasp. He straightened up quickly, putting on a firm face to prepare for her rejection since she didn't want him touching her. Instead she stepped closer and reached her hand to the old injury on his upper lip. The faint pale scar was still there.

Big silver eyes searched his for recognition. His shut his eyes briefly and leaned into her hand. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him suddenly. With her being a lot shorter than him she pulled him down a bit and put her mouth close to his ear.

"Thank you, Severus. I'm glad you're here." She breathed. Even though she was mute it was due to an underdeveloped larynx. She was voiceless not incapable mentally.

He already had his arms wrapped around her middle and was leaning into the soft warmth she provided. Vanilla scent surrounded him and he tilted his face closer to hers. The hair stood on the back of his neck and he felt a jolt of electricity shoot through him when she whispered his name. The door to the classroom opened suddenly and the Professor walked out looking for her.

"What do we have here?" she said suspiciously.

They jumped apart quickly and Severus blushed bright red. Juliet picked up her bag and pulled her wand out. 'I left my bag in the Great Hall, Severus brought it to me. I'm sorry I was so careless.'

She looked between the both of them and nodded slowly. "Good job Mr. Snape. Five points to Slytherin for helping a new student. Here's a note for your teacher, move along now, the bell rang twenty minutes ago."

"Yes Professor." He said and adjusted his own bag and took the note from her.

He watched Juliet walk into class and smile at him over her shoulder. He felt his own mouth return the smile as the classroom door closed behind them. He took a few seconds to gather himself and started walking to his own class. She was glad he was here. She was happy to see him. She cared about his wellbeing and safety. She hugged him!

He felt a surge of excitement rush through him like he'd never felt before. He pumped his fist in the air and quietly grunted "Yes!" He couldn't wait to see her again today at lunch or hopefully share a class.


	5. Chapter 5

He was floating on a cloud of endorphins the rest of the week and nothing could ruin it. Normal Severus was a very studious note taker and his friends spotted the difference right away. They made fun of him constantly but all he did was ignore it or blush and hide behind his hair. Being distracted by the thoughts of her left him open for attacks with the Marauders. His friends retaliated with him and short duels were fought in the corridors in between classes.

He saw Juliet at lunch on Friday and sat across from her at his own table. She shot him a sweet smile and watched him out of the corner of her eye as she listened to one of her friends tell a story. He watched her through the curtain of his hair as his friends talked around him. When she left he felt Yaxley elbow him in the ribs.

"Pick your chin up before you attract flies." He laughed.

"So you gonna tell us what happened?" Rowle asked and threw a piece of his muffin at him.

Severus brushed the crumbs off his robes and tried to fight a smile. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? You were in a shit mood the last week, then all of a sudden your wand girl is smiling at you and your acting like a Hufflepuff. Spit it out." Regs said while pointing at him.

Severus shrugged his shoulders and kept his head down, he didn't want to tell these assholes anything when they made fun of him all week. Lucius looked at Regs and to Mulciber and lifted his brow and nodded his head towards the door.

Both of them stood up suddenly and Regs said "Alright, you don't want to tell us. No problem."

"We'll just go ask her ourselves. You coming to Malfoy?" Mulciber said and threw his napkin down.

"I am!" Avery said and stood up to follow.

He banged his fists on the table and knocked over a pitcher of pumpkin juice. " **DON'T.** "

"So what happened?" Lucius asked and leaned in.

"You're all a bunch of gossiping girls….she hugged me." He admitted proudly.

"That's it?" Avery asked in disbelief.

He nodded and moved his hair to cover his eyes, maybe it wasn't something to be proud of. Rowle scoffed "Really? No snogging? No shagging?"

Severus looked at him with a shocked face and a slight tint of pink on his cheeks "What?! No! Why?!"

Mulciber put his arm around Severus and shook him a bit and laughed. "So young and innocent."

"You're only a year older than me. Besides, what experience do you have with girls?" Severus scowled and pushed him off.

"Women, not girls. Father took me with him to Germany this summer and that's when I became a man." Mulciber said smugly.

"Bullshit! This is the first time hearing of this." Avery said and flung a chip at him.

Yaxley leaned over and punched his shoulder "Yeah, normally you never shut up about anything you deem as impressive. You're lying."

Before Mulciber could open his mouth to reply a group of girls passed by and turned their noses up as they passed "Boys are such pigs." They heard their conversation and got offended.

Regs stood up and chased after them "Hey ladies, not all of us are boys!" He caught up to them and put an arm around their shoulders.

Lucius snorted "He may never admit it but he's just like his brother. Put a piece of meat in front of him and he'll chase it down like the dog he is."

* * *

One of the few classes they shared was Herbology and Lockhart beat him to be her partner during the class. He had to watch them from across the greenhouse work closely as their plants need to be milked.

He watched as Lockhart helped her into her lab coat and tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His temper rose, as did his magic and things on the workbench started to shake and rattle. Rowle and Yaxley looked at each other warily before Rowle wrapped his arms around Severus' shoulders and shook him.

"Not here, Snape." He said into his ear to calm him down. Rowle was built a lot bigger than the others and was the muscle of the group with Mulciber. Both he and Mulciber were often mistaken for brothers because of the same medium length dirty blond hair and built the same way, only Mulciber was two inches taller.

Yaxley stepped in front of them and snapped his fingers in his face, "Hey, calm down. Not here Severus. Not here, mate."

Severus snapped out of it. They never used each other's first names unless it was serious. Well except for Regs because his brother was called Black. Severus and Lucius went by first names with each other because they were best friends.

He growled and shook Rowle off and went back to his workstation. He tried to ignore the "happy couple" as much as he could but Lockhart was so loud and attention-hogging. Rowle made sure to put himself between Severus and the two Ravenclaw's by the window.

Yaxley leaned over to Avery and muttered: "He was never this bad with the Mudblood."

The dark haired boy with nodded in agreement and passed his partner the bucket for their milking, "Definitely. He follows this one around just as much but his anger is getting worse. Watch the shoes!"

* * *

Saturday night came and Severus was nervous and excited because this was the first party like this he had ever been to. Not only that, Juliet was supposed to be there,  _with Lockhart._  He ground his teeth and clenched his fists at the thought of that pompous ass hanging all over her the whole week. Severus never got another chance to speak to her due to different schedules and the wavy-haired jerk keeping her close.

Lucius and Avery teamed up and helped Severus with some spare clothes for the party. They said he would never fit in if he wore baggy and worn clothes like he usually did. He told them he had no money for dress robes and they all laughed at him.

"Dress robes? This isn't a Ministry ball!" Avery laughed so hard he held his stomach and bent over.

"Don't mind him. This is a kickback so its relaxed setting and you- my Ravenclaw loving friend, are going to relax! Or so help me…" Lucius said and muttered away as he looked for clothes for him.

"I don't love her!" he spat. They rolled their eyes and got ready to head to the Room of Requirement for the party.

Avery let him borrow a pair of black jeans that actually fit him. Both boys were tall and skinny so it worked in his favor. Yaxley let him borrow an old pair of boots he outgrew over the summer and Lucius altered one of his dark green thermal shirts so it fit his frame.

"Nothing I can do with your hair short of a miracle," Mulciber said and walked away.

"Your hair is fine. Ignore him, mate. Chicks dig the mysterious look, trust me." Regs said from the doorway of their dorm.

Severus was still bitter about his friend kissing her hand at the welcoming feast. He ignored him and pushed the sleeves of the thermal up to his elbows and started to tuck in his shirt. Regs stepped forward suddenly and grabbed his wrist.

"Stop. Leave it like that. Girls like the messy look. Oh come on are you still mad at me?" Regs asked and let his wrist go.

Severus didn't say anything he just turned his back on him and walked out the dorm "Are you guys ready?"

"Come on Snape! I said I was sorry!" Regs called out to him.

"Give him a bit. He'll hate Lockhart in a few then he'll forget why he was pissed at you in the first place." Mulciber said as he passed him in the doorway.

"Now the hard part of sneaking across the castle without getting caught…" Yaxley said quietly when they left the Slytherin common room.

* * *

Severus had downed a shot of fire whiskey and a butterbeer as soon as he got there to calm his nerves. Juliet wasn't there yet and he was nervous that she wouldn't come. What the hell was he going to say anyway? It was a Slytherin exclusive party that had people from other houses join upon invitation only. He nearly spat his drink out when he saw the Marauders walk in with Lily and some other Gryffindors.

"The fuck are they doing here?" he growled.

"They were invited." An older boy said.

"By who?" Rowle asked and looked around.

Before anyone could answer Black called out from across the room and pointed to his younger brother. "Hey Regs, thanks for the invite brother! Great party!" his friends snickered behind him.

They all rounded on Regs who turned pale and put his hands up, "He tricked me. I swear."

Mulciber punched him hard in the bicep and said "Fucking twat."

Severus rolled his eyes and took another drink from his glass of fire whiskey. They were all lounging around on a group of couches and armchairs in the corner. He was sitting back on a black leather one with one foot up on the edge of the coffee table full of drinks. Lucius sat on his left and Yaxley sat in an armchair to his diagonal left. They talked about everything their fathers did at the ministry and Severus just listened and watched the door as he sipped his drink.

The door opened and a huge group of Ravenclaws trickled in that ranged from the 5th year to 7th year. He sat up a little straighter and let his hair fall forward to cover his eyes. He felt his gut twist nervously when he saw Juliet come in with all her friends. Like a silly muggle movie he saw with Lily once, the music stopped and everyone stared at her. She wore a pair of snug fit faded jeans with black and white sneakers and a simple white blouse. Her hair was loose and wavy as ever. To him, she looked like the perfect example of relaxed that his friends were telling him earlier.

The purebloods and few others that new the proper etiquette immediately stood or turned to her. Severus stood with his friends quickly and waited for her. She looked around shyly and gave a formal curtsey and they responded with a formal bow and everyone continued as if nothing happened.

* * *

Lily made a face as she watched James, Sirius, Remus and ever Peter stop mid-sentence and turn their backs on her and her friends. She was the only one who seemed to mind what happened. "What the hell? What's so special about her?"

"She's the last Ollivander of the Sacred 28." Her friend Mary said to her as if it explained everything.

"She's a unicorn," Remus whispered without taking his eyes off of Juliet.

"Or a Princess," James added.

"A unicorn princess." They both said at the same time.

Her friend Alice explained to her "It's a pureblood thing that goes back ages. The Ollivanders are the highest ranking of the Sacred 28, even higher than the Malfoy's. She is the last of her line to continue their legacy. Even the pureblood ladies had to make way for her. It's like a nobility thing. Look at Narcissa Black and her sister. They are giving their respects to her and following the proper hierarchy."

"So what?" she said as she watched James, Sirius, Remus and Peter stepped forward to greet Juliet.

Severus leaned forward in his seat, waiting to spring forward at any given moment. The room was filled with whispers and murmurs as they watched in anticipation. Sirius stepped forward first and held his hand out to Juliet. The coffee table and glasses started to rattle in front of Severus and Lucius elbowed him hard.

"Her lady of House Ollivander, I am Sirius of House Black." He kissed the top of her hand.

James stepped forward next, "I am James of House Potter."

"Remus of House Lupin." He said and stepped aside as Peter was next.

"Peter of House Pettigrew." He squeaked shyly and moved away quickly.

She bowed to them and looked at Lily and her friends and smiled. She pulled her wand out and the little ribbon wrote in the air above her, 'Hello, my name is Juliet. What's your name?' Her friends introduced themselves immediately and shook her hand. Lily gave her a short response and refused to shake her hand.

'It was very nice meeting you, I hope you have fun.' Juliet wrote with a strained smile. She had heard of them from her time. That was Harry Potter's mother and father to be with the future members of the Order of the Phoenix. She wondered what she did to upset her and went back to her friends and the party continued.

"What the hell is your problem, Evans? She was just trying to be nice and make you feel welcome." Sirius said as soon as Juliet stepped away.

"Evan's you could get us in really big trouble if she goes back to her father and tells them how rude you were," Peter said and rubbed a hand through his hair nervously.

"Well, I don't see what the big deal is with her. You kissed her hand!" she smacked James on the arm. "I thought you liked me."

"What- I had to!" he said in defense.

"You told me you didn't care about blood status and here you are kissing her hand and bowing like a total prat." She said angrily.

Sirius looked across the room to his cousins Narcissa and Bella who were seventh years. They looked at him in disgust and shook their heads and nodded their heads to Lily. They were definitely going to tell his father what happened here. He turned to Lily and grabbed her arm.

"You need to apologize to her. Then we'll be alright." He said and his friend Remus nodded in agreement. They continued to argue amongst themselves and eventually, the party went back to normal.

* * *

Severus scowled at the horrible manners his ex-friend showed towards Juliet. Perhaps if they were still friends he could have informed her. He pushed the thought from his mind immediately and cursed at himself.

"There she is, pretty as ever," Avery said quietly to him from the other couch. "Whatcha gonna do now?"

The door opened with a bang and Lockhart flew in with his arms full of large bottles of alcohol. "Who's ready to party?!"

Everyone cheered as he walked around the room and passed out the bottles. He took some to Juliet and her friends who were by the giant windows opposite of the fireplace. For the first time ever they welcomed him with open arms to get the alcohol. He forced an open spot between Juliet and Sophie and put an arm around both of them.

"Ladies, how about a drink?"

"Now you're talking!" Sophie said and took the bottle from him. She poured the group of them a round of shots and he passed them out.

Lockhart stood up suddenly and pulled Juliet with him. He gave her one of the shots and cleared his throat loudly. "Can I have your attention, please! I want to make a toast to the very lovely and talented Lady of House Ollivander! Let's give her a welcome she will never forget!"

Everyone including Severus stood and raised their glasses. "To House Ollivander!" they cheered and downed their shots. He curled his lip and grunted his toast to her. He sat back down and picked up another drink and knocked it back while ignoring the burn in his throat.

He watched them the rest of the night as they laughed and drank to Lockhart's antics. He was the life of the party when he had alcohol in his system and apparently told the craziest stories. Regs came to sit next to Severus since Lucius was off talking to the Black sisters.

"Still mad at me?" he asked with puppy dog eyes.

"Don't look at me like that." He snapped.

Regs sighed and knocked back his drink and stood "After this, you can't be mad at me anymore, promise?"

Severus looked up at him "After what?"

Regs winked at him and walked over to the group of Ravenclaw girls and Lockhart. Severus hissed his name to try and call him back. "Regs, what the hell are you doing?"

"Looks to me like he's doing you a solid, Snape," Rowle said as she slipped into the armchair by him.

"You know that kid looks up to you right? More than his real brother." Mulciber said as he took the seat next to Severus on the couch.


	6. Chapter 6

"Ladies, having a good time? Mind if I join you? Those sorry sacks of Slytherin don't know how to have a good time like you guys." He gave them a charming smile and sat down before they could say no.

"Black, come and join us! I was just telling these ladies of my family's summer palace in France!" Lockhart said with his arm wrapped around Juliet who looked uncomfortable.

Regs lifted a brow and smirked "I have a better idea. How about you and I liven up the party huh? Let's give these  _old_  folks something to talk about."

Juliet leaned forward and nodded her head excitedly. Lockhart noticed her interest and agreed "Alright, what do you have in mind?"

Regs moved his chair closer to the table separating them and put two shot glasses on it and started to open a full bottle of fire whiskey. "A drinking game. Shot for shot, no stopping until one of us pukes or passes out. A real man's game."

Everyone within earshot came closer. "Ooos." And "Ahhhs." Surrounded them and some chanted Lockhart's name. "Don't wuss out!" He looked very uncomfortable and looked down at the small glass in front of him with a disgusted look on his face.

Juliet's eyes lit up and she smiled up at Lockhart and nodded. Her wand moved quickly above her head 'Well if you don't do it, I will!'

"OOOOOOHHHHHH!" her friend Mack called out and laughed at Lockhart.

Severus and his friends got up and moved closer to watch it all. Juliet saw Severus for the first time and smiled at him. He would have smiled back if she wasn't still wrapped in Lockhart's arm. Instead, he gave her a small nod and curled his lip at her companion. Soon it became a Ravenclaw vs Slytherin drinking game and the other houses called out that they wanted a representative from their own houses.

James pulled up a chair, and the Gryffindors cheered his name. "POTTER! POTTER!"

A brown haired 7th year sat down for the Hufflepuffs and took his jacket off. "COLLINS! COLLINS!" they cheered.

Regs looked over to Juliet and winked "Would the lady like to do the honors?"

Juliet grabbed the bottle, poured two more shots for the new contestants and pointed her wand in the air. 'READY. SET. GO!' a loud bang came from her wand, and they picked up their shots and downed them.

Dani and Mack helped her pour the shots quickly one after another. Amelia was smart enough to summon a bunch of trash bins in case they puked. One bottle down and Collins started to sway back and forth. Severus watched his friend continue the drinking challenge with interest. What the hell was he planning? If anything this just drove her further into the jackass' arms!

"What's wrong Lockhart? You're looking a little green there." Regs said after he took another shot. He was the best looking out of all of them. James was sweating and about to rip his shirt off, Lockhart was looking pale and almost gagging with each shot.

Juliet scooted farther away from him and kicked the trash bin between his legs. Potter downed a shot and kept leaning too far back. He fell out of his chair and passed out on the floor. His friends picked him up and pulled him to the side. Soon Collins puked into the can between him and Regs. Everyone moved farther away and said "Eww!", "Gross!"

The sight and smell apparently got to Lockhart and he started to heave into the bin between his legs. Slytherin cheered and patted their champion on the back. Juliet moved as far away from him as she could and clapped for Regs. Her friends sat by her and laughed with her.

Lockhart wiped his hand on the back of his sleeve and stood with wobbly legs, "Congrats to you, sir! Now, ladies? Who wants to come back to my place?" he fell back onto the couch he was sitting on and passed out.

Everyone laughed at him and cheered for Regs again. He stood, bowed and took another shot on his victory. "Alright, I'll take this sack of shite back to his dorm eh?" he slurred.

He picked up Lockhart who was still mumbling in his sleep about getting lucky tonight. Regs passed by Severus and winked at him they nodded to Juliet who was standing by the window with her friends. It clicked finally, Regs got rid of Lockhart completely and now it was up to him to make a move.

* * *

He took in a deep breath and walked over to her and her friends. Turning to greet him, she smiled and signed 'Hello Severus, are you having a good time?'

"I am missing some stimulating conversation, but yes. Are you?" Severus asked and nodded to his friends who were arm wrestling by the couches now.

She breathed out a would be giggle and signed 'Perhaps I can join you?'

He swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded dumbly. "Of course. Can I get you another drink?" he held his arm out for her and she wrapped hers around it. He led her to where his friends were sitting and took up his previous seat.

Yaxley handed him two beers he just opened and bowed his head slightly to Juliet. "Snape, are you going to introduce your friend to us?"

"Juliet Ollivander, this is Corban of the house-" she cut him off.

'Please, don't think you have to be proper around me at all! I'm just here to have a good time like you guys.' She waved her wand.

Severus smiled and relaxed a bit "This is Corban Yaxley, that's Lucius Malfoy, Marcus Avery, Thorfinn Rowle, Theodore Nott, Nolan Mulciber and Regulus Black is the one who just left." He pointed to each of them who tipped their glasses to her when called.

'Hello, I'm Juliet. Nice to meet you!' she scooted closer to Severus on the couch when Rowle took up the seat next to her.

Severus looked down at her and asked: "So what made the little Ravenclaw come all the way from Rome?"

'I was home schooled by a family friend who taught my Papa. Unfortunately, they passed away, and my Papa thought it was time to come back home.' She signed as she put the beer between her thighs.

Her friends came over to see what she was up to. Juliet introduced them all, and soon the two houses joined for drinks. Some of the boys got up to let the girls sit down. Sophie sat next to Avery who began to smile like an idiot.

"Why'd you guys stop playing?" Mack asked.

"Didn't want to offend the ladies," Mulciber smirked.

The girls looked at each other and laughed. "Offend me? I'm Irish. Let's play." Mack replied.

"I don't want to hurt you, sweetie." Mulciber put his hand up for her to stop.

" _Sweetie?_  Bring it, Snake." She challenged. She tightened her pony tail, chugged her beer and put her elbow on the table.

Juliet leaned over to Rowle and waved her wand. 'Wanna get that she beats him?'

He threw his head back and barked out a deep laugh. Pushing his hair from his face, he nodded. "You're on Ollivander. A galleon?" he asked and held his huge hand out for her to shake.

Juliet looked at Severus who had his brow raised then to Rowle who was smirking down at her. She shook his giant hand and pulled out a galleon from her pocket and put it on the table. Many other galleons joined theirs as people placed their own bets.

Severus saw Rowle over her shoulder trying to tell him something. 'Put your arm around her.' He mouthed and mimicked it with his own arm. He lifted his arm and she seemed to know what he was doing, she leaned forward and let him put his arm around her. Rowle winked at him and opened another beer.

"How do you like Hogwarts so far?" he asked her quietly as the rest of the party carried on around them.

'It's beautiful here. The weather is a lot wetter than I'm used to, but I like the rain. I like my classes so far. I'll let you know about history of magic though.' She accepted another beer from him when she put her empty on the table.

"Are you having any problems with anything? Like getting lost… or the classes?"  _Or Lockhart?_ He wanted to add.

She ran a hand through her hair and shook her head no. 'My friends have made sure I don't get lost. It's too soon to tell with the classes though.'

He rubbed his thumb against the bare skin of her arm. "Do you miss anything from home?"

She bit her lip and cutely scrunched her face. 'Pasta.'

He chuckled, "We have pasta here."

She shook her head firmly. 'No you don't. I can make pasta! What you have here are macaroni and cheese!' Her hands came up in a very Italian fashion with an attitude.

He threw his head back and laughed. "I'm sorry to have offended the lady of House Ollivander." He tipped an imaginary hat off his head.

She gave him a small shove in his chest with her hand. 'I'm passionate about food. I love to cook.'

He nodded in agreement at the thought of her soup and sandwich. "You're very good at it. Perhaps you can show me what real pasta is one day?"

Nott had told him earlier to ask a lot of questions to keep them talking. He told him that nothing got a girls interest more than talking about herself. Then to ask open-ended questions that involved future plans. Nott also called himself a female guru but that was neither here nor there. Severus said there were no females to prove that he was. Nott countered with there weren't any to prove he wasn't.

'I would love to cook for you. I wish I had access to a kitchen here, but I guess it will have to wait? Will I see you again this summer?' She asked and put her hand on his thigh. Perhaps Nott was right?

He gave her one of his rare smiles and leaned into her ear. "I don't know if I can wait that long to see you again." He felt her shiver against him, so he tightened his arm around her.

She tilted her head up and leaned into his ear and breathed, "You can see me whenever you want to."

He bit his cheek and leaned into her a bit more. "What if I told you that I could get you access to a kitchen?"

She perked up at his words. 'Can you?'

He smirked down at her then looked away. "Depends."

That got her attention even more so. Not was right after all. 'Depends on what? Please tell me.'

"If you're going to make me pasta." He said and took a long sip of his beer.

'Of course! I could make you all sorts of pasta!' she was leaning into him so much that she was practically in his lap now. Most of her was pressed against his side and she even brought her right leg up over his.

He laughed and continued their conversation Once her friend beat Mulciber, Rowle handed her the winnings of their bet and tipped his head in defeat. Mack seemed to be just getting started with her night. She had other challengers try to take her on.

* * *

Lily watched him practically cuddling with Juliet on the couch. She saw their smiles and little whispers and touching from her spot on the "Gryffindor side." Everyone was having a good time but her. James' had woken up and started to liven up the party with his friends. He even tried to cheer Lily up but she wasn't having any of it.

She got up and left the party by herself. She tipped off peeves and Mrs. Norris about the party and it's entrance on her way back to her common room. If she wasn't going to have a good night, no one was! The voices of McGonagall and Filch were heard from the other side of the party door and everyone panicked. People ran for their lives through random doors the room of requirement provided.

Severus jumped up and grabbed her hand. He pulled her off the sofa and tugged her through a nearby door. It opened up to the corridor on the 7th floor so he pulled her with him down its path. His friends and random students followed close behind them. He looked back at her and saw her face lit up with a huge smile and big eyes. He never had so much run running away from authority.

Some people split off down other halls towards their rooms or a different short cut. He stopped at the hardly used staircase by the entrance hall. Her dorm was up, and his was down. Her friends called out to her to keep following them as did his.

"I'm afraid this is where we must part." He said with a disappointed tone.

"We're leaving Snape!" His friend called out over their shoulder.

She hugged him and buried her face in his neck. She pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear. "Goodnight Severus, I had a lovely time with you."

He was about to tell her he did too but the feeling of her lips on his skin caused him to groan instead. She kissed his pulse point below his jaw. His knees went weak, he turned his head to kiss her but she already pulled away. He watched her run down the hall towards her friends. She turned around briefly and blew a kiss to him before turning the corner.


	7. Chapter 7

"Well? Tell me!" Regs jumped up from Severus' bed when he walked into the dorm. He had been waiting for him most of the night.

His friends were already there and getting ready for bed as they talked about the night. They stopped when he walked in and leaned against the closed door. He tilted his head back and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't believe she kissed him!

"Ah ha! Look at that!" Yaxley pointed to his neck because he was the closest. "She kissed him!"

He grabbed a small hand mirror and held it up to him to see. The perfect outline of her lips was imprinted on his neck from her pink lipstick. He blushed a deep red and couldn't fight the smile on his face. Rowle pat him hard on the back and laughed. "I told you to put your arm around her!"

Severus looked at Regs and pointed to him from across the room. "You! Come here you beautiful genius!" he rushed across the room and pulled him into a big bear hug.

"So you're not mad at me anymore?" he asked as he returned the hug.

"I'm not. I promise." He said and let his friend go.

* * *

The buzz of alcohol and her touch in his system taking him to a high he never had before. Images of her eyes looking up at him and her breath on his ear. He touched himself that night as he laid in bed. Doing what any normal 15 year old boy would do when he thought of a pretty girl. Pretty wasn't the right word, beautiful or temptress was better fit for the little Ravenclaw who left her mark on him. He lowered his pajama bottoms from his hips and lifted his shirt up.

His hand pumped up and down and he closed his eyes again. She willingly touched him and wanted nothing from him. He reimagined the heat he felt from her hand when she touched his chest. His stomach tightened with he remembered her whispering his name in his ear. He exploded all over his stomach and tried to catch his breath.

He blindly felt around under his pillow for his wand. He vanished his mess and straightened his clothing then rolled over and dreamt of his little Ravenclaw who blew him a kiss. He was completely infatuated with her now and he as going to stop at nothing to make her his.

* * *

He was in an amazing mood until he saw Lockhart hanging all over her again the whole weekend. She liked Severus didn't she? Then why the hell was that oaf still in the picture? He was crushed! Perhaps she was just being nice to him this whole time an he meant nothing to her. It was Lily all over again, getting close to him to get what she wanted then turning around to another. His heart sank and his world crashed around him. He almost had a break down at the breakfast table and made everything shake and rattle. She was just like every other pretty girl he knew.

He couldn't look at them anymore, he skipped breakfast. It didn't mean he stopped watching her from a distance when he could. He watched her from his dark corner in the library as she worked on her astronomy charts. She would nearly crawl all over her table because she was too short to reach part of her star map. Her protractor and compass in each hand with a quill in her mouth. When she was in study mode the whole world went by her. At least she didn't let Lockhart control that part of her day as well. As soon as she stepped into the library she was cut off from everyone else unless they asked her a school question.

He caught onto her study habits and certain ticks she had when she was working. The silver cross that hung from her neck would often be played with or put between her lips. She would put her hair up into a messy bun with nothing but a quill to hold it in place. Her lips moved quickly as she read and she bit her lip when she was stuck on a problem. He wanted to go to her so bad, and follow her through the tall aisles of the library, then pin her against the shelf. He wanted to make her forget Lockhart and every other boy in the school.

Regs even joined her little study group of friends and helped her with her star maps. He tried to get Severus to come with him more than once but he refused. He didn't want Lockhart shoved in his face and touching her, if she wanted to see him then she could come to him. That was until Sirius Black chimed in one day as she held a chart up in the air and twisted it around a few times.

* * *

"You need some help with that, Precious?" he asked as he leaned casually against her table.

She smiled at him and moved her chair to the side to make room for him. Severus snapped his quill and slammed his book shut with a bang. He watched the dark haired wizard put his arm on the back of her chair and lean in close to her as he pointed to different stars.

"My whole family is big on astronomy. We're all named after stars and constellations. See right there? That's me!" he pointed and leaned in really close to her.

Juliet saw through his false bravado and brought her copper compass down hard on his hand that was on the chart. He yelped and flinched at the metal point that was stuck in the back of his hand. She leaned in to his ear and whispered angrily, "I don't need help from a want to be gentleman. You come from the House Black, act like it! You're nothing more than a bully who throws his name around to get what he wants."

He winced but still gave her a charming smile and a dark look in his eyes. "You know what I want? You to burn in hell with all those fucking snakes you like getting cozy with. That's right, I saw you with Snivellus at the party. You chose the wrong crowd, Ollivander. Wait until it gets out that the princess of House Ollivander is kissing up with want to be Death Eaters. Or that you're dirtying the purest lineage since Merlin himself with a greasy little half-blood. Your father will shit nifflers." His face was right next to hers, noses nearly touching as he threatened her.

"Not before your father finds out you not only openly threatened house Ollivander….on record." She whispered and nudged his nose to the left to look at the table. A quick notes quill was writing away at a fast pace everything that was happening. "OR that his eldest son- of great House Black- is secretly engaged to a muggle-born Hufflepuff. YOUR father will shit nifflers." Was it wrong to use information she knew of from the past? Yes. She had to show him that she wasn't meant to be messed with. He was one of the boys that hurt Severus and she wasn't going to stand by and do nothing about it.

"How did you know?!" he said in shock. His free hand grabbed her wrist tightly. She winced but didn't stop. "You leave Bertha out of this!"

"Everyone knows. Thing about being mute is all of your other senses are heightened and you hear things. The thing about this castle is everyone talks. Just like they talk about her cheating on you with the Ravenclaw seeker."

His eyes widened and he let go of her wrist. "You're lying!"

"Am I?" she shot back. "How much can a girl take being a secret when her loving fiancé is all over other girls while he's all over the castle?"

Severus watched at their got close enough to breathe each other's air. Her nose nudged his and she gave him a look that should have been for him. He stood up suddenly and scraped his chair back loudly. He grabbed his bag and his book and took off from the library. To hell with all the females in the bloody castle! First Lockhart and now his worst enemy?! This girl knew how to cut him deep, next she would probably be sharing secrets of him with Lily.

Sirius and Juliet's head turned to see Severus storm out of the library. Sirius looked at her again and smirked, "Uh-oh. Boyfriend doesn't like you cheating on him. Maybe he does, he sure does like watching you and Lockhart shack up."

She twisted the protractor into his hand deeper and pushed him back from her. 'Go.' She mouthed and waved her hand at him. He pulled the sharp piece of metal out of his hand and threw it on the table in front of her. His blood dripping all over her precious little star charts.

"This isn't over Ollivander. We're coming for you and your  _little snake_ too." He threatened as he held his bleeding hand. He kicked his chair in and stormed out of the library, leaving her with the bloody mess covering all her things.

"Well shit." She breathed and rubbed the back of her neck and closed her eyes. Way to make a bad situation worse, good job Juliet.

* * *

Severus went back to the old him, head down and fuck the world attitude. He threw himself into his studies and experimental potions, writing away in his Advanced potions book. He bluntly ignored Juliet's existence and that was the hardest thing he ever had to do. To try not to feel anything when she smiled at him or waved her little hand in his direction. If only his friends saw it as that. Regs, Mulciber and Rowle joined her little study group! What the hell happened to loyalty? Months went by as he pretended she didn't exist. It started to snow and winter break was nearly upon them.

The Marauders seemed to have it out for him even worse lately, probably because Juliet put them up to it now that she was with Black. He held his own for the most part except when they came at him from different directions. He and Avery got into it with them one night when they were sneaking out of the dorms to the kitchens. Four on two wasn't as bad as usual but they still got their asses handed to them.

A loud cat hiss was heard from somewhere in the darkness of the dungeons and all the boys stopped dueling. Mrs. Norris started meowing loud and alerted her owner to their location. They all looked at each other and silently agreed to hold this battle for another day.

"Shit!" Remus cursed.

"Run!" Avery called out and took off up the stairs.

"Scatter you idiot!" Severus hissed and pushed Peter away from him as they ran down a corridor off the main floor.

Filches voice could be heard from where he just left, it sounded like he had just caught Avery. Severus cursed his luck and rounded another corner. Now he couldn't go back to his dorms for a while, Filch was surely going to linger well into the early morning. He went up another flight of stairs in hopes he could hide in the library at least.

"Come out, Snivellus! Let's finish what we started!" Sirius called out down the hallway.

"Filch got Avery and took him down to Slughorn! They'll be busy a bit- what you say we finish this beat down quick eh? Lily is waiting for me back in the tower. She's keeping my bed warm for me." James said loudly as he searched every crevice with the tip of his lit wand.

"Fuck." He muttered under his breath and turned another corner. If he could just make it to the library he could get into the restricted area and hide there.

The last thing he ever expected to see was the little Ravenclaw running towards him at full speed holding a bunch of her star charts under one arm. Her eyes widened in recognition and mouthed to him "RUN!"

Peeves came crashing out from behind a suit of armor laughing his ass off and started floating after her. "Oh-live-and-her" he sung out a horrible pronunciation of her name.

She nearly crashed into him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt and looked up at him with worried eyes. "Hide me." She breathed. He looked back to where his attackers were coming from.

"Snapey poo- come out and play!"

He cursed at his shitty luck tonight. He looked back down at her and nearly melted with those big silver eyes playing off the moonlight that came in from the tall windows. He damned himself to hell for letting her get to him again. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hallway where he just came from. She shook her head no and pulled on his arm.

"Trust me." He said and pulled her with him towards Sirius and James.

He suddenly stopped and grabbed her while ducking behind a large tapestry that had a small alcove hidden behind it. If she had a voice she would have screamed in fright when he jerked her behind its cover. She hugged her star charts like a baby and refused to leave them behind. He was pressed against her, chest to chest in the limited space they had. They heard the two Gryffindors get closer as they searched every crevice for him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he whispered as he spied through a small space between the tapestry and the wall.

"Working on my charts. You?" she whispered back.

"Fucking losing my mind apparently." He muttered.

"Where are you hiding, Snivellus?" Sirius called out.

"Where the hell is Wormtail? He had the map!" James whispered angrily.

They were getting so close he could nearly feel her heart beating out of her chest. He turned to look down at her to shush her. She looked up at the same time. Both of their lips forming 'Shh.' Their lips touched. Purely accidental and both were caught off guard. His eyes closed and she dropped all her rolls of charts to the floor.

"What was that?" James asked and Sirius nodded his head towards them.

"LOOKIE HERE! NEW PLAY THINGS!" Peeves squealed at the top of his lunch and bounced on down the corridor towards them. They heard a pair of feet retreat and the childish laughter of Peeves chasing them.

Severus pulled away from her and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. His mouth opened to utter an apology but she grabbed the front of his shirt and crashed her lips into his. The knot in his stomach came undone and his skin was on fire. His hands found her waist and he pressed himself harder against her. He felt her breasts pressed against him and he felt his body react.

She released the hold on his shirt and moved them up his check to cup his cheeks. Their kisses were deep and their breathing was labored. All previous thoughts of her in a negative manner vanished from his mind. Her tongue traced his bottom lip and he moaned, she slipped her tongue into his mouth. This was the first ever kiss for him and it was going amazing so far. His tongue met hers and he moaned again at the warmth and taste. The finest liquor in the world could never intoxicate his senses like this girl was doing now.

She slowed their kisses down and rubbed her thumbs along his jawline. "I miss you Severus." She breathed in between kisses.

He put his forehead to hers and let her kiss his chin and cheeks. "More than Lockhart or Black?" he asked quietly.

She pulled back and signed, 'Lockhart is a dumbass. His family is broke and his father told him to try and get into my family's money. Besides, he's gay!'

He did a double take at the words she was signing. That couldn't be right. "You mean he's…"

'He likes boys.' She spelled out for him.

"How do you…" his mind was going in a million different directions.

'Not hard to figure out. He tries  _way_ too hard to be straight. Besides, he and Regs are seeing each other.'

He pulled back slightly and stood up straight. "How do you know? Regs- my Regs? Regulus Black?"

'They told me. I've been their cover so they can be together. I thought you knew. Regs talks about you all the time. You're practically brothers he said.' She signed slowly then covered her mouth. 'Oh my god! Please don't tell anyone- I thought you knew!'

Most of the puzzle pieces began to click together except one. "And Black? Why didn't you run to your boyfriend when he was here?" he asked coldly.

She shook her head firmly and flipped the bird in the general direction the Gryffindor ran off to. 'Fuck him! That asshole threatened me when I wouldn't date him and he's been attacking me left and right since!"

He closed the distance between them, all two inches of it and cupped her face. He looked into her eyes and asked "He hurt you?" She bit her lip and looked down. He pulled her face to look at him. " **Did. He. Hurt. You.** "

She gave a small nod and brought her hands up to tell him. 'They've been hexing me in the halls. Peter stole my backpack and Sirius tried to push me down the stairs on the way to Charms.'

There was going to be hell to pay for hurting his little Ravenclaw. Yes his. After tonight he was never going to let her walk away from him again. He thought of all the things he was going to do the those so called Marauders and get her things back from them.

She put a hand to her bare neck and looked down. 'James took my necklace. He said only ill-bred witches and blasphemous whores wear the sign of the cross. Then Remus sabotaged my potion in class and I burned by hand.'

He saw red and his temper snapped. He pulled his wand and threw the tapestry to the side as he stormed out from behind it. They were going to hurt for what they did even if he had to rip that fat lady painting to get to them. Her hand grabbed his and he spun around, his chest heaving up and down.

'Don't leave me here alone. Please. I don't know how to get back to my dorm.' She begged him.

His rage dissipated when he saw her bottom lip quiver. He waved his wand to her charts that were spread out across the floor and gathered them. He sheathed his wand then held his hand out to her. She took it and he led her safely back to Ravenclaw tower without getting caught. When they got there she left him breathless with an intense kiss and he promised to get her things back for her.


	8. Chapter 8

Severus kept his heart encaged in a steel box after the "late night snog fest." That's what Yaxley called it when he showed up late that night covered in lipstick and rumpled clothes. He was afraid of letting her get close like he had done twice before now. He didn't seek her out immediately after the fact, if she wanted him then she would come to him. He wouldn't be making a fool of himself again, no sir!

Instead he sought out the Marauders like a feral beast looking for the next kill. He made a promise to her and he was going to keep it. He and his friends outnumbered them eight to four, they just always knew how to find them when they were alone. He knew they were weak in one area for sure, direct contact. No one ever snuck on them and no one ever hit them head on. He also knew they never looked at that stupid little map ALL the time.

Remus was first on his shit list. They shared History of Magic together and everyone knew Professor Binns was set on repeat. He and Lucius grabbed him by the upper arms as the rest of the students went to class and dragged him into an empty classroom. Nott was quick with the silencing charm and Remus' screams went unheard. They tossed him to the floor after snatching his wand from his robes. Severus punched him in the jaw as soon as he tried to get up. Lucius stood guard by the door.

"So you want to hurt innocent girls?" he asked. His voice was deeper than usual, his eyes filled with rage and hate. Nott cast a muffling charm on the room, a spell Severus created and taught his friends.

"How does it feel Lupin? To be voiceless and in pain? To scream for help but no one can hear you?" he said then kicked him. His voice was surprisingly calm for the amount of violence he was showing.

Remus swung his fist towards him with all his weight. He side stepped and let him fall to the ground. Remus' jaw was swollen and his bottom lip bleeding. He landed on his face and tried to push himself up off the ground. Severus put his knee on the middle of his back and held him down with all his weight. Remus struggled and tried to flip over.

"You blew up her potion….you burned her hand. Eye for an eye…" Severus grabbed his wrist and held it behind his back. With his right hand he conjured a wandless flame in his palm, not the first time he's done it but he kept it to himself. He held his flame right next to the back of Remus' palm.

He arched his back in pain and his mouth was open wide but no screams came out. Nott winced and looked away while Lucius peeked his head out the door to make sure they were still clear. He squirmed all around on the floor but with Severus' weight he couldn't move. Severus didn't stop until he saw the his skin red and bubbled. Remus had tears coming down the corners of his eyes.

He extinguished his flame and put his mouth close to Remus' ear. "You hurt what is mine. Now I hurt you."

He got off of him after he pressed his face harder into the stone floor. He straightened his robes and adjusted his tie then nodded to Nott. He removed the silencing charm on the room, threw Remus' wand down at his feet then gave Lucius the signal to leave.

Severus stepped on his injured hand and said "Go near her again and I won't stop at your hand."

* * *

Remus was found in the hallway on the 5th floor and taken to the hospital wing. He refused to say what happened to him and was kept for observation. The burn on his hand would permanently scar but his face was healed back to normal with mild swelling. Severus put his focus on Sirius next, Rowle and Mulciber helped him with that. They all had a free period at the same time when Sirius was supposed to be in Herbology.

They snagged him coming out of transfiguration and knocked him out with a stunner to the back. They carried him to the top of the staircase by the Astronomy class where Severus was waiting for them. They held him upside down over the ledge and he used rennervate to wake him up.

"Ugh…what- WHAT THE-" Sirius was silenced by Severus. He struggled against the two larger boys who each held a leg with sick grins on their faces.

"So you like to threaten girls?" he asked rhetorically.

Sirius responded with two middle fingers in Severus' face. So Severus punched him and blood started to pour out of his nose and get into his eyes. He quickly put his hands to his face and shut his eyes.

"You threatened what's mine. Did you think I would let you get away with it?"

Sirius smirked and gave him another finger. Mulciber winked at Rowle and let go of the leg he was holding. Sirius' eyes went wide, as he silently screamed. He reached for the railing that separated them but he was too far out. His long curly hair and robes hanging below him and swaying every time he moved.

"Where is the necklace Potter took from her?" Severus asked him calmly. He released the spell that silenced him.

"Why the fuck would I tell you anything?" he spat at him.

"Cuz he asked nicely and I'll drop you on your head harder than your Mommy did." Rowle said and shook him hard.

Mulciber clapped his hands together, and barked out a loud laugh, "Oh this is so much fun! Why haven't we done this sooner?"

Severus leaned forward on the railing with his elbows and looked him right in the eye. "Do you get some sort of sick kick from hurting innocent girls?"

"You would know wouldn't you? Fuggin' Death Eater trash!" he struggled to say being unable to breath through his mouth.

"Drop him. Maybe Bertha Jorkins will know." He smirked and turned his back.

"You leave her out of this-Snape! Come back here!" he called out.

Severus spun around and grabbed him by the tie, swinging him closer so they were eye to eye. "Why should I? You didn't leave Juliet out of this. No… You hurt what is mine and now I will hurt something of yours. Unless you tell me what Potter did with the necklace."

"He gave it to Lily. She likes that muggle shit. Said her parents still make her go to church or something." He admitted. Severus let him go and let him swing back then nodded to Rowle who gave him a sadistic smirk.

"You like to push girls down the stairs? So do I." Rowle said then pulled him in and threw him down the small stairs to their left. He was knocked out before he hit the bottom and laid spread out on the small landing. They walked passed him and Mulciber spit on him before they left.

* * *

Sirius woke up hours later unsure of where or who he was, they found him wandering around the top floor covered in blood. He would spend three days in the hospital wing under observation until he remembered who he was. He refused to say what happened at the top of the staircase when he came around. They put him in the bed next to his friend Remus who gave him a look that said 'You too?'

He handled Peter on his own, the small boy was nothing without his friends to save him. He got him outside of the boys bathroom on the 3rd floor. He picked him up by the front of his robes and pinned him to the wall with one hand.

"Where is the backpack?" he asked.

"On the lake! I threw it out on the ice!" Peter caved immediately.

Severus growled "Then it looks like we're taking a trip aren't we?"

He dragged him outside through the snow and cold to the edge of the lake. Severus didn't bother removing Peter of his wand, the little shit was nothing in a duel. He shoved him towards the frozen surface and pointed out towards the center of the lake. A brown bag was laying 20 yards out on the ice. It was surrounded by about 2 inches of snow, which meant it had been out there for a long time.

"Go get it."

Peter's eyes got wide and the white puffs of his breath came out as he tried to speak. "B-b-b-but I can- we can accio it!"

Severus threw his head back and laughed, his deep voice traveling and echoing back. "I want you," he pointed his wand at Peter, "to march your squirrely little ass over there," he pointed his want to the bag. "and get the fucking backpack."

Peter looked out to the lake and took two shaking steps forward onto the ice. Severus pointed his wand to towards the right of him and blasted the ice. Peter jumped and let out a high pitch cry.

"Next one is going right between your feet.  **Move.** "

Peter shuffled his feet forward towards the backpack faster. He nearly slipped a few times but stayed up on both feet. Once he had the backpack in his hands he turned to the shore to make his way back. Severus summoned the backpack and it flew out of Peter's hands, across the lake and into his.

"You stole from her, which means you stole from me." He said and pointed his wand to the ice again.

He blew up the ice right at the shore, clearing the way for the water three feet out. "I want you to know what it feels like to live when you're missing something you need."

The ice was thick enough that it wouldn't crack out in all directions. Peter would either have to try and jump it or walk farther down the lake to get off the ice. Where the water started, he wouldn't get his pants wet further up than his crotch. Severus slung the backpack over his shoulder and walked back up to the castle ignoring the calls from Peter. If Peter were smart he would have used his wand by now, but he was a Gryffindor after all.

* * *

Severus needed the help from Regs and Avery when it came to taking down James. It was going to be big and public so they he needed a diversion so they weren't caught by any teachers. Normally he would have to return a favor for something this big. They said if it took Potter down a notch and helped the little Ravenclaw they all came to like then it was a free one.

Study period in the Great Hall meant a good chunk of the school would be present and only two teachers were assigned to that hour. Sprout and Flitwick walked along the long rows of tables checking work and helping students. Regs ran into the hall and yelled at the top of his lungs, "GREENHOUSE 3 IS ON FIRE!" Both teachers followed him outside immediately.

Severus got up and walked over to the Gryffindor table with his wand drawn and the rest of his friends behind him. James was standing with a leg propped up on the bench next to Lily. He was leaning over her and flirting by playing with her hair. She was being the typical ditsy girl with the giggling and batting her eyes.

Severus walked up behind him, grabbed him by the back of the neck, kicked his leg out from the bench and slammed his face onto the table. He grabbed his wand arm and twisted it behind his back, Lily let out a high pitch scream that alerted everyone else near by. Severus pressed the tip of his wand to his cheek and gave him an evil grin.

"Hello, Potter." He spat. His hair was hanging in front of his face as he bent down to his level.

"Let me go Snape!" James struggled against him.

"I will once I get what I came for. You see… you stole something that doesn't belong to you. I want it back." Severus said.

"Whatever he wants just give it to him." Lily told James.

"Yes Evans, give it to me." Severus said and turned his wand to her.

She gasped and tried to scoot away from him. He had never turned his wand on her before. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Leave her out of this," James grunted.

"Oh, no…you didn't tell her?" Severus teased.

"What is he talking about?" she asked James. People started to stand up and move closer around them.

"Nothing, baby." He denied.

Severus and his friends laughed and he twisted his arm further up. "Tell her where you got that cross." He pointed his wand to the silver chain around her neck.

Her hands went up to the necklace and she leaned away from his wand. "It's mine! It was a gift!"

"Tell her! Tell her how you stole it from Ollivander." Severus yelled at James.

Everyone gasped and Lily's face turned red with embarrassment. "You told me you bought it for me and shipped all the way from Italy!"

" **TELL HER!** " Severus roared.

James nodded. "Alright! Alright! I took it from her." Everyone in the hall started to whisper and laugh.

"Then what did you tell her? Tell her what you said!" he put pressure on his arm to the point of snapping.

"Okay! I said that only ill-bred witches and blasphemous whores wear the sign of the cross!" his face was beet red.

Everyone in the hall gasped or yelled in outrage. Lily's eyes began to water as everyone stared and pointed at them. "How could you?!" she screamed at him.

"That's why you gave it to Evans isn't it? Because you think she's a ill-bred witch? Or a blasphemous whore? Both?" Severus smirked and looked up at Lily.

"OHHH SHIT!" Sophie yelled out from the Ravenclaw table. Out of all Juliet's friends she was the only one present in the hall.

"I HATE YOU JAMES!" she screamed at him and stood to storm out of the hall.

"No! Baby- baby come back!" he yelled and tried to reach for her with his free arm.

Severus grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around before she could leave. " **Give. It. Back.** " Before she could respond his hand shot out quickly and snatched it off her neck.

She rushed out of the Hall crying and Severus let go of James. "Go on, run to your  _ill-bred whore_." He spat and pushed him towards the door.

James held his strained arm at his side as he ran out of the Hall after Lily. "I didn't mean any of it baby!" He called out to her.

Everyone either clapped or laughed at the situation and many people patted him on the back as he left the Hall. No one was going to mess with Juliet anymore, he made damn sure of that.


	9. Chapter 9

Severus found her in the Library, as usual, bent over her table and her hair pinned up with a long black quill. She shuffled her charts and pulled her parchment closer to write something down, then reach next to her for something that wasn't there. Probably her quill. She patted down the dozens of parchment and charts looking for it.

He smirked as he watched her as she lifted charts and patted around the table top for it. He slowly made his way over to her and stopped right in front of her table.

'What the fuck…' she mouthed as she started to flip things over looking for it.

He cleared his throat, waited for her to notice him then leaned over the table and plucked the quill from her hair. It cascaded around her face, and her eyes got big as he traced the feather end of the quill along her cheek, then her lips. Her lips parted, and her breath hitched. He pulled back and held it out for her to take.

Once she took the quill, he stood up straight, and he heard her breathe "Wow."

He stood up straight and smirked at her, then he turned and walked down one of the tall aisles to the back of the library. He looked over his shoulder to see her scramble to get up and follow him. Lucius told him the key to get a girl to like you is to keep her wanting. Wanting what? Was his response. He said that if you seem disinterested and "aloof" that it will keep them guessing and wanting more. Severus told him he could "aloof" himself right out the door because that didn't make any sense. Now he had to go back and tell his friend that he was right. He really needed to start trusting them more. They haven't led him wrong yet.

He led her through the tall, dark rows until he reached a tall window in the far back corner of the library. He hid in the shadows waiting for her to round the corner. She stopped by the window and looked around for him. He came up behind her and held the necklace up in front of her to place back around her neck.

She leaned towards him to let him clasp it on her. She shivered when he moved her hair out the way, and he saw the goosebumps on her skin form at his touch. Did he ignite her flesh as she did to him every time she touched him? She gasped at the warmth of his breath hitting her neck, not the surprise he brought her.

When he finished, she turned to face him and put her hands on his chest. He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes briefly. "Thank you." She breathed against his lips then kissed him. He wanted to ask her if there was anything else he could get for her, anyone else who wronged her just so he could get another kiss. To see the want and appreciation in her eyes over and over again.

He held a hand up to cup her face, and she grabbed it and turned it over. She looked at the red and purple swelling around his knuckles and grabbed his other hand to check it. Her eyes searched his for an answer he didn't know the question to. He'd seen that look in her eyes before when they first met, was it concern?

"Are you hurt?" her mouth moved.

He shook his head no. "They won't ever bother you again."

He didn't expect her to bring his hands up and kiss each of his bruised knuckles. He bit his lip to keep himself from moaning; he didn't think of her lips on anywhere else except on his own until now. Did she know what she was doing to him? He was so touch starved that this was going to overload his senses. If she didn't stop soon, he was going to make a huge mess under his robes.

"Here is your bag." He said suddenly when she kissed his last knuckle. He bent down and picked it up from the floor by his feet and handed it to her. "Let me know if anything is missing-oof!"

She threw the bag to the floor and threw herself at him by jumping up and wrapping both arms and legs around him. She placed kisses all over his face and tangled one of her hands in his hair. He nearly lost balance but cupped her ass out of reflex to support her.

"Ahem. Oh Miss Ollivander, there you are!" Albus said from behind her.

Severus' eyes widened in horror as he saw his Headmaster watching them practically dry humping in the darkness of the Library. He heard her breathe into his ear. "For fuck's sake…what now?"

She separated herself from Severus and gave him one last smile before turning to Albus. 'What?' she signed and put her hands on her hips. Severus couldn't believe she was giving their Headmaster such an attitude with her response. They were probably going to get points deducted, detention for a month and a letter home to her grandfather!

"Sorry to interrupt but we had a meeting twenty minutes ago." He smiled and pulled out his pocket watch.

She turned back to Severus with an apologetic look. 'Can I see you later?'

Severus couldn't do anything other than move his head up and down. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and picked up her bag he returned to her then followed Albus. He stood there for ten minutes staring at the spot she stood trying to wrap his head around what the hell just happened. She seemed to do that to him every time he was near her, completely break down his walls and turn him into a blathering ass.

* * *

"Please have a seat. Would you like some tea?" Albus asked her when they entered his office.

She shook her head no. 'I'd rather get this over with.'

"Just like your grandfather… tell me, the outcome of the war-"

'Hasn't changed. You're still dead. The people on the parchment you're holding are still dead. It ends the same date as before. Can I go now?' she was getting tired of these weekly meetings.

He frowned and looked down at the parchment of names she wrote for him when she first came from the future. "Well, that's disappointing… tell me, what is your relationship with Mr. Snape?"

She scowled and squared her shoulders. 'None of your business. May I go now?'

"Oh, but it is my business. You know his name is on this list. I'm trying to save everyone on this list, Miss Ollivander. If you alter anything from what you've told me then you can change the entire outcome that I'm trying to achieve! You know how crucial he is to winning the war and if you alter his path-" Albus stood up and leaned on his desk with both palms. His long white beard falling into his cup of tea.

She stood up and defiantly matched his gaze. 'You know the path he led! You were the one who pushed him down it! God forbid he has a bit of happiness in his life! I like him, and he likes me-so you keep your crooked nose out of this!' they were both leaning over the desk now, facing each other down.

"Is that what you're doing here? Playing God to meet your own goals?" his tone was harsh and firm. He leaned closer to her over the desk.

'YOU are the one playing God. Changing the fate of the world because you weren't happy with the ending. You told me I'm stuck here and to make the most of what I'm given. Which isn't a lot- you forced me back here and told me that once I graduate, I have to be hidden in some dark corner of the world. So until that happens- until I have to go into hiding, I am going to live my life!' she was breathing heavy, and her face was red. Her temper was getting the better of her, and her magic was lashing out.

Albus looked around the room at the rattling objects on his desk and shelves. He'd seen this in powerful wizards and young children before they had a wand to focus their magic through. Her grandfather was one of those powerful wizards, and it looked like more than just his temper and silver eyes passed down to Juliet.

"You are dismissed. We will meet again next week." He said and pointed to the door. "Oh before I forget, your grandfather- is going to visit your real father in Rome for the holidays. So you will have to remain in the castle for the winter break."

She was still leaning over his desk, so before she stood up, she reached over and flipped his little saucer holding his cup of tea. 'Oops.' She signed then spun around and walked out of his office. She wasn't going to take crap from him, not in this timeline or the other. Her Papa was right about one thing- all Dumbledore's are arseholes!

* * *

Severus continued to mess with the Marauders. He knew they would either be looking for him or be on their guard. Their paranoia got the best of them, always looking over their shoulders and checking their precious map. He and his friends would show up when they least expected it and just watched them get the best of themselves.

"You're sick. You know that right? A bloody right genius though." Lucius told him one day in the courtyard. They were casually hanging around near the Marauder group who kept looking over their shoulders. There was snow covering the grounds, and everyone was playing in it or watching others.

"I want them to feel like they made her feel." He said while keeping his eyes trained on the back of James' head.

"You know me, I'll help any lady in need." Regs said and licked his lips.

Severus finally looked away from the Marauders and looked down at his friend. "You and I need to talk. I heard differently."

"Oh, you mean how he likes blokes?" Nott asked casually.

"You knew?" he was shocked.

"We all did," Yaxley said and shrugged his shoulders.

"Not just blokes. I like them both. Any port in a storm, mate." Regs said and wiggled his brows at him and smiled.

"How am I the only one who didn't know?" he asked and looked at them all.

Regs laughed and pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards Juliet and her friends. They were building a little Hogwarts replica out of snow with their wands. "You were too busy with a dark haired girl about yay high."

"We don't care if he likes fuckin' ghosts. He's one of us, ya hear?" Mulciber said to Severus sternly.

Severus nodded "Of course. You're still my brother no matter what."

"Winter break is coming, are you going to join us?" Lucius asked. His father was going out of the country on business, so they all planned to meet at his manor and throw a huge party.

"Yeah." He said as he nodded his head at Juliet who waved.

* * *

Over the last two weeks before winter break she had been smiling at him and touching his arm when passing in the hallway. It set him on fire more so than it ever did before, because now he knew what she tasted of. She stopped him once after Herbology and gave him a hug and a quick kiss before running to catch up with her friends. He walked out of the greenhouse with a lopsided smile plastered on his face.

He and his friends went to the main hall to put their names on the sheet that listed the students who were going home for the holidays. There were two sheets, one for those leaving and the other for those staying at the castle. He waited in line with his friends, and when he got to the front, he saw the very few names listed on the sheet for those staying in the castle.

Juliet Ollivander was written out in her perfect cursive. She was staying here alone? Without a second thought, he signed his name underneath hers and caught up with his friends who were waiting by the stairs to the dungeons.

"I'm not going." He told Lucius.

"What? Why?" the blond asked suddenly. "We planned this whole break and the party." He whined.

"Which will still happen regardless if I'm there or not. I'm going to stay behind because-"

"Little Ravenclaw is staying innit she?" Mulciber smirked and punched his arm.

Severus rubbed his now throbbing arm and looked at his feet. "Yeah…"

His friends laughed at him and started barking like dogs. "Oh man, you are fucking whooped! You dog you!" Yaxley said.

"Shut up!" he snapped and looked around to make sure that Juliet was nowhere near to hear them talking like that.

"You do know what to do right? When she lets you lay the pipe down." Rowle asked and made a crude gesture with his fist.

"What pipe? There's pipes now?" None of the books he read mentioned anything about pipes!

"Oh for the love of Merlin… come on, we got work to do." Lucius cursed and put his arm around his shoulder, leading him back down to their dorm.

* * *

He went to the library to see her on the first day of winter break. He took the opportunity to sleep in with the dorm to himself and missed breakfast. He saw her alone by one of the windows in the very back of the library. It was where they had last been close. She was looking out to the snow covered grounds. He silently walked up behind her and watched her sitting in a giant armchair and tucked under a thick blanket. She was playing with her cross necklace between her lips.

"I still don't understand how a pureblood believes in Christianity." He said from behind her.

She didn't jump in surprise like she knew he was there. She tilted her head to look at him and smiled. 'It's Roman Catholic.'

"Is there a difference?" he asked and put both hands on the back of her armchair to lean over her.

'Oh God yes. Christianity is laid back compared to this. Roman Catholics have this entire hierarchy to follow, and all branches of it have to obey the orders of the Vatican. You know, the Pope- little guy with a big hat. The minister of magic for Rome.'

He quirked a brow and tilted his head to the side, his hair covering one of his eyes. "Minister? The what?"

'The Vatican is our Ministry of Magic. This symbol is the sign of my people. This isn't about religion. This is the symbol of where I come from.' She held it up for him to see.

"But muggles worship your god." He was enthralled by what she was telling him.

'Muggles worship what they want to worship. Our magical community is so entwined with muggles that this is the way we can keep our kind in plain sight. Also, steer the muggles towards what the ministry wants but hey… that's politics.' She shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him.

"Will you tell me more? About your home and Catholicism?" he asked her.

'Of course!' she gave him a huge smile and reached up to tuck his hair behind his ears.

"Cozy?" he asked while nodding to her pile of blankets.

She pulled the thick blanket back and scooted over a bit then patted the space next to her.

"Is there room for two?" he raised a brow at her.

'No, there's only room for you.' She signed and pat the space again.

He sat next to her wrapped an arm around her shoulder. She was wearing a blue sweater and black jeans with her black and white sneakers. She tucked the blanket over his lap and brought her legs up to his lap. She reached over to the small table next to her and picked up her mug. She blew on it softly, stirred the candy cane that was sticking out of it and held it up for him to take. He grabbed it and took a test sip, it was hot chocolate with the peppermint flavor from the candy cane.

She looked up and him and put her hand on his cheek while leaning towards him. He closed the gap between them and kissed her. His tongue searched for her's, and she obliged. She tasted of the chocolate and peppermint. She pulled back and smiled at him, her hand still on his cheek and her thumb tracing the scar above his lip.

They spent the day cuddling with each other in her cozy little spot she made. Drinking from the thermos of hot chocolate she brought from the breakfast table this morning. They watched the snowfall on the grounds as she told him all about her home back in Rome. Eventually, she fell asleep on his shoulder. They missed lunch, but he wasn't going to let her miss dinner too.


	10. Chapter 10

He spent every hour he could with her, and he gave her an official tour of the castle. He had promised her that he would give her access to a kitchen and he was going to deliver. They held hands as he led her down the dungeon steps, going deeper than she had ever been before. He mentally thanked the damp chill for making her shiver and press herself closer to him. When they got to the painting of the bowl of fruit, he tickled the pear, and it swung open for them.

Her eyes went wide at the sight of all the elves running around trying to prepare for the big Christmas dinner. He pulled her in and felt his stomach flip while watching her get excited over an elf kitchen. If he could make her look and feel this moment every day, then he could die happy. She wrapped her arms around his middle and kissed his jaw right below his ear. It was his turn to shiver.

One of the elves ran up and asked if she could help them. Severus explained that Juliet was mute, but she would very much like to use their kitchen to make her food. A few of the older elves straight out said no and got very jealous of anyone else near their precious workstations.

"Well then… do any of you know how to make pasta?" he asked and looked around the group of little beings.

"Like spaghetti?" one squeaked from the back.

"Lasagna?" another asked.

Juliet signed to him so he could translate. 'No…traditional Italian pasta.'

He relayed for her and tennis ball sized eyes of different colors got big. They whispered amongst themselves, and their elders and their "elf representative" came forward.

"You teach us, and we let you cook?"

Juliet nodded her head and smiled. They all squealed with excitement and ran around the room making sure she had everything she needed. They handed her an apron and a chef hat which she put on immediately. Severus chuckled at the fact that even with the tall hat she was still much shorter than him. They grabbed her by the hand and led her deeper into the kitchen.

Severus took a seat at one of the stools next to the counter top she was working at. He watched her perform a different kind of magic. She was in the zone and oblivious to the fact that dozens of pair of eyes were watching her every move. This may not have been her kitchen, but she worked it like a pro.

Severus' mother never cooked anything for him, just for his father. Growing up it was either fending for yourself or starve. Seeing someone prepare for him was fascinating like she was making a potion of her design. His mouth watered at the smell of whatever she was frying in the pan.

There was a giant flame that went out as quickly as it flared and all the tiny voices chorused. "Oooh!"

Juliet wasn't just making one dish; she decided to make more than one so the elves could broaden their menu that they served the school. As well as giving him the traditional full course meal. She had something going in a giant pot on the back burner, and she lifted the lid. A massive bloom of smoke came up, and he heard himself audibly sigh as the smell his nose. She tasted a bit on the tip of her spoon and nodded at it.

"What is that?" he asked as she rolled some dough on the counter in front of him.

'I'm making pasta.' She signed quickly and continued to knead it with a bit more flour.

"From scratch?" an older elf asked as she leaned over to get a better look.

'Of course, everything is better from scratch!' she signed, and Severus interpreted for her.

"No magic?" another one asked.

'Not that kind of magic. No wands, no snapping fingers…. Just two hands, some elbow grease and a whole lot of love.' She signed with messy hands. It felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest when he watched her cross her wrists to her chest and sign the word love. It took him several minutes to explain to the elves that elbow grease wasn't to be taken literally.

It was a dance around the kitchen, and he was entranced with her gracefulness through her routines. Chicken and shrimp were sliced with an expert cut, peppers and onions diced with speed and precision Severus had only dreamed of learning. She had to be amazing in potions! He wanted her to teach him how she was able to use a knife like that. He read about esteemed potions masters having this skill down so well that they could do it with their eyes closed.

From what he could tell about Italian food was that there was an ungodly amount of butter and cheese involved, not that he minded. When she served their meal, they sat quietly with all of the elves and tucked in. She showed him which dish was what and told him the correct way to eat it. He didn't care that he was full, he didn't mind that his belt was fitting tight on him now. This was heaven to his tongue, and he was going to eat every single bit of it.

His friends told him that a woman who cooks is worth her weight in gold. They grew up wealthy with house elves to cater to their every whim, but they said that none of it compared to when their mother's cooked for them. In Rowle's case, his grandmother. They were initially from Finland, and she came from their homeland with old recipes that she refused to share with the elf help. Rowle had grabbed Severus by the shoulders roughly and shook him while saying. "If you find a woman who cooks and her food makes your heart sing- marry her. Now tomorrow, not in a while; right now. That's what my father and older brother always told me."

Now it all made sense; this was precisely what Rowle was talking about! A girl who cooks and does a damn good job of it. Marry her- that's what he said, but they were only 15! Well… 14 and a half, his birthday was just a week away. One thing for sure if he wasn't going ever to give her up and miss that opportunity.

He was sure his face and shirt were covered in sauce and soup, but he didn't care. Whoever said the way to a man's heart was through his stomach was 100% spot on, and they deserved an Order of Merlin.

He started to breathe slowly when the desserts were dropped in front of him. He put a little of everything in his mouth at once and look at her with cheeks full of pastry. She smiled wide at him, leaned over and wiped a bit of powdered sugar off the corner of his mouth. She grabbed a cream puff and popped it into her mouth. He was going to marry this girl one day.

* * *

Severus was confident he was going to go into a food coma. They left the kitchen after they ate and said goodbye to the elves who told her that she was welcomed down there anytime she wanted. The recipes she taught them would undoubtedly be used soon in the Great Hall. He took her for a stroll outside in the snow because he needed to walk off some of the food he just devoured. They stood under a tree close to the forest near the lake and looked out to the scenery.

She shivered and tucked herself into his side, hiding her face in his neck. He pulled his Slytherin scarf off and wrapped it around her then tucked it into her sweater. "Where is your scarf?"

'I let Dani borrow it for a Quidditch game or something and never got it back.' She signed. It was difficult to tell what she was saying with the thick mittens she was wearing, but he got the point.

"Now you have a new scarf. You can keep this one." He said and kissed her forehead. He wanted her to wear something of his that showed who she belonged to.

Did she? Was she his? Everyone else seemed to just put their dirty little paws all over her when she only returned such contact with him. If she were his, then she wouldn't let them do that, and they would know better than to let touch her. Mulciber said he had to establish dominance with the surrounding competition of males. He did that, didn't he? When he went after the Marauders in her honor.

Juliet stood on the tips of her toes and kissed his lips twice quickly. He blushed and felt his face go hot; she always managed to break down his walls and make him lose his sense of thought. She took off her mittens and grabbed his hands in hers. He forgot his gloves in his dorm, so she cupped his hands and brought them to her face. She blew her warm breath on them and rubbed them quickly to warm them up. He thought of other things her mouth could do, and he bit his lip. He was sure his face was red by now with all the guilty thoughts running through his mind.

* * *

Christmas day came, and he met her in the library like they had been the whole break. He would stop by the kitchens, take breakfast to go then share it in the library. She was waiting for him in a white skirt with a green blouse and her hair tied back with a silver ribbon. A sweet little Slytherin colored package just for him. He set the basket of food down on the table by "their window" and opened his arms to catch her hug.

Even though this was the most contact he'd had with her; hell anyone for that matter, it set his skin on fire as if it were the first time. He never wanted this holiday to end. If he could have these moments to live forever on repeat, then he could carry out the rest of his days in peace. He still wasn't used to having a hard on constantly around her though, that was the tortuous part of it all. When he returned to his dorm, he would take care of that twice, sometimes three times a night before he was finally able to fall asleep.

"Merry Christmas Severus." Her lips lightly brushed against his ear and his knees went weak.

"Merry Christmas Juliet. I got you a gift." He said and pulled out a small package from his pocket.

She kissed him then plucked it out of his hands. She opened it quickly and held up a hair clip. It had two angel wings on both sides made out of small diamonds. It was paired with two small hair combs made of the same two colored stones and also shaped like wings.

' _S.S.'_  was set in the center of the wings in emerald stones. The store owner told him that a simple incantation could change the letters to whatever he wanted. Selfishly he chose his initials so everyone would know that she belonged to him. He owed Lucius for hooking up with his family discount through a personal friend his father knew.

He had given gifts to Lily before throughout their friendship, during his foolish days of blindness he thought was love. She turned around and never used them or re-gifted them to other people. It broke his heart; he prayed that Juliet wouldn't do the same.

"It's so you don't lose your quills." He said quickly. What if she rejected it?

She smiled and jumped up and down with excitement and hugged him. She quickly put her hair up and pinned it in place with her new clips and combs. He summoned a mirror with his wand and held it up to show her how she looked.

The giant smile on her face made it worth all the coins he had paid for them. Every galleon and Knut he had saved throughout the years and time in the wizarding world. The homework and projects that he did for other students for money and potions he sold under the table to his friends.

Then he pulled out another gift for her, a long thin black box. She opened it and pulled out a new quill made from the feather of a raven, it was charmed and didn't need to be dipped in ink. He had practiced the spell for weeks before he finally got it right. He hoped the practicality of the gifts he got her would make her happy. He got Lily many gifts where she told him "That's nice." Then it was shelved forever and a day.

"It's charmed. You'll never need ink."

She gasped in surprise and quickly pulled out a piece of parchment from her bag on the table. She tried it out and wrote something quickly on it; then she gave it to him.

' _Juliet + Severus'_ it was inside of a big heart shape she drew.

He felt like a giddy idiot when he saw it and gave her a dopey lovesick smile. He couldn't help it; she was giving him all the affection and attention he ever craved from one silly red-headed girl over the years in a matter of moments. He took the parchment and tucked it into one of his inner coat pockets near his heart. He was going to frame it, engrave it, get it tattooed on his bloody chest if he could!

'I got you something too!' she signed as she reached into her bag again.

He perked up a bit when he saw it and pursed his lips to keep himself from grinning like an idiot. He'd received gifts before; he wasn't that neglected. She held out a small black box with a green bow on its top. He reached for it, and she placed it in his hands, she watched him with her silver spheres peeking over the box lid when he opened it.

Silver watch with a thick black leather band, it had multiple knobs on the side for different setting and timers, behind its many silver hands was a black face with small silver letters in her perfect script.

' _A moment can last forever, forever isn't long at all -J.O.'_

He was speechless; this was the most personal, thought out gift he had ever received. It was the best gift he'd ever seen. She carefully took the watch out of the box and reached for his hand. He held it out for her to strap it to his wrist. It wasn't too heavy, but it certainly felt masculine, especially when he saw her still hanging onto his arm after she finished.

'So do you like it?' she asked.

Nod your head, you idiot. His mind shouted the words to say to her, but his mouth wouldn't form the words he wanted to speak. His mouth went dry, his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth, and his voice was gone. He gapped like a fish out of water at her, and she knew he was struggling. She stood on her tippy toes to kiss him.

"Merry Christmas Severus." She whispered against his lips right before she kissed him. Her tongue swiped against his bottom lip, and he pulled her close while wrapping his arms around her. This was the best Christmas he ever had.


	11. Chapter 11

She told him that she liked fireworks, but hadn't seen any since she moved from Rome. She told him of the city sky back home bursting with different colors. He wanted her first new years here to be special and for it to be with him. He knew that Hogsmeade was going to have their traditional fireworks display, but students were not allowed to go. He made plans to surprise her.

He could have easily taken her to the astronomy tower and watch them from a distance. It wasn't good enough for him; he wanted her to see them up close. So that night after curfew he snuck them out of the castle through a secret passage he had often seen the Marauders use. Severus was good at things like that. Watching people, being able to go places where no one could see him. He could sneak anywhere and not be seen nor heard. He could thank those skills from growing up with an abusive father who believed that women and children should neither be seen nor heard.

It was dark and cold in that tunnel, but he promised her it would all be worthwhile. He had checked it out before he took her with him. When they popped out of the floor at the candy shop, he led her out the door and through the small town. It was alive with people who were dancing and singing in the street. Not taking any chances of a teacher being around he pulled her down the darker paths and to the alley behind the bookshop.

There was a hidden ladder he placed there earlier, and he set it up to go to the roof. After helping her up, he pulled the ladder back up with them and showed her the city from the rooftops. He brought a basket of food and cocoa with a large thick blanket for them to sit on. He cleared the snow with his wand and set the blanket down. She curled up next to him, and they watched the fireworks together.

She told him that her favorite fireworks were the one that looked like flowers and her favorite flowers were the ones that looked like fireworks. She kissed him when the clock struck midnight, and they laid there cuddled on the roof staring up at the sky as it lit up in every color. It may have been freezing outside, but he never felt warmer in his life than with her at his side.

* * *

Garrick Ollivander kept to himself over the years; they were a quiet House in the wizarding world. Unlike the rest of the Sacred 28 who liked to throw their names around. Most either forgot about the Ollivanders or ignored them because they weren't seen in public in fancy clothes or going to Ministry balls. Today was the end of all of that; it was the day that everyone would know who the Ollivanders were.

He got owls from Juliet and the parents of the children who were present during the party when Lily disrespected her. Of course, he heard about the disrespect his daughter got from the sons of House Black, Potter, Lupin, and Pettigrew. He got letters from Juliet and Severus' friends when the Marauders were bullying Juliet. They were from supposed Noble houses as well and knew that they had to send messages and report what they had witnessed. Garrick may have been a man of great power and a short temper, but he was patient with his revenge.

He allowed those boys and that girl from Gryffindor to feel safe and comfortable for months. He stayed silent and did nothing. Some of the other Houses thought Garrick was going soft in his old age since he didn't acknowledge the proverbial slap in the face. He smirked and drank his coffee while he waited for the right time.

While he was gone to visit his son in Rome, he sent out multiple owls to his connections and Wizengamot representatives that he knew. Within mere hours the Great House Black, Potter, Pettigrew, and Lupin were blacklisted from everything. Such a shame they couldn't get any holiday shopping done when they weren't allowed in any store or shop in the country. Their owl post was cut off immediately, and all letters sent out were returned to sender, and their floo was deactivated. He completely cut them off from the world they knew.

His seat on the Wizengamot was always held open for him if he should take a sudden fancy in politics. Which he certainly did now. He didn't even have to walk into the Ministry to grab the tree trunk of the Sacred 28 and shake the Blacks and Potters out of it. A short message to the department of records was all it took to cross the names Black, Potter, Pettigrew, and Lupin off the list. It now became the Sacred 26 because proper purebloods don't need bad apples in their tree. Pettigrews and Lupins weren't part of the Sacred 28, but they were well-known purebloods that held high positions in the ministry. Not anymore.

In a single day, he made four Houses that went back generations nonexistent. The birth, marriage, and death certificates had suddenly "vanished" in the Department of Records. Their lineage that went back to the days of Merlin was never heard of. All bids for marriage proposals to their houses for their sons and daughters were pulled back immediately.

He knew where else to hurt the mighty Purebloods who thought they ran England, their gold. Gringotts was in Diagon Alley, which Garrick owned and had the respect from the Goblins who worked it. With their lack of identification, they weren't able to access their vaults. Which meant that all of a sudden they were poor nobody's.

One of Garrick's letters sent out had Lily Evans' name written all over it, and suddenly she was banned from the wizarding world. Little Miss Lily Evans was easy enough; she ruined herself. Turns out Miss Evans like to do parlor tricks for her sister in the backyard, which was against the rules of course. No magic to be used outside of school and no magic in front of muggles. They sent Ministry officials to her home to collect her wand, snap it in front of her and serve her parents with a hefty fine to be paid within 90 days. She was given a firm warning that if she did it again, they would come back and place cuff that would dampen her magic.

This was worse than a slap in the face. Garrick had made sure that he was gone on vacation during these events so no one could try to beg or persuade him to fix it. He wasn't in a rush, let them suffer for their disrespect and negligence to raise proper children. Garrick did issue a statement to the papers he sent the morning he left for Rome.

'We need not argue that these families exist, they undoubtedly do. However, their records have disappeared. Whether a prank or malicious act, they are gone. Such an act is blasphemous to the very foundations of our society. The wizarding world is founded on the pillars of trust and respect! Perhaps if these families find the humility within themselves to appeal to whoever is responsible. To show they have not yet crossed a line that is irreversible. As a family of some renown, the Ollivanders wish to express their sympathy and aid in this trying time. Furthermore, after a vigorous investigation, I'm sure the culprits will be found. After all one would hope that the actions of a few ill-bred wizards and witches would not go unpunished.'

Garrick planned to take an extended vacation and return to London for Juliet's birthday and their Catholic holiday. In February. This meant that the Marauders and Evans were not allowed back to Hogwarts, they had been expelled since they no longer existed in the magical world. Albus knew better than to fight Garrick on certain things, he knew, in the end, it would work itself out, and they would come back to Hogwarts. He once got into a heated argument with Garrick about muggles back when he was close to Grindelwald. Back when he was blinded by his emotions and the false words that were fed to him. Garrick said if he didn't stop talking about blood purity and taking over the muggles then he would hit him like one, and he did. Garrick was the one who broke Albus' nose, and no medi-witch in London could set it straight.

* * *

School resumed a few days after New Years, and everyone was buzzing about what happened to the Marauders and Evans. They made sure to part the way for Juliet and go above and beyond to show their respect and manners when she entered a room. She didn't like the attention, but she knew she had to be the proper witch she was raised to be. When her friends returned from their holiday, they cornered her in their dorm.

"First of all- OHMYGOD!" Sophie screamed from her bed as she jumped on it. "You need to spill the beans, sister."

"Yes! Tell us everything." Dani said from her bed as she brushed her hair.

"Your Daddy is a badass, Ollivander. He's got my Da's respect that's for sure." Mack said from the doorway to the bathroom.

"You think he's gonna lift the ban on them? Or you think they're kicked out for good?" Amelia asked shyly.

'I don't know anything. I didn't know this was going to happen.' She waved her wand.

"Fuck that nonsense. Good riddance I say! I'm talking about your boyfriend." Sophie said and crossed her legs to sit on them.

"Yes! Tell us about Snape!" Dani clapped.

'I don't know what you're talking about' she blushed and hid behind her bangs.

Amelia moved to sit behind her and started to braid her hair. "Oh come on, Juliet. Do you like him?"

'Well… he's a nice boy.'

Mack blew a fart noise and rolled her eyes. "Nice and Snape don't belong in the same sentence."

'He is!' she waved her wand quickly.

"So you like him," Dani said confidently.

'Yes, I do.' She tried to hide her smile but failed.

"Oooo!" they said together.

"I noticed you got those fancy new hair clips… a gift from Snape?" Amelia asked.

'Yes, Severus gave them to me for Christmas.'

"Severus now is it? Is he a good snogger?" Sophie asked and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Sophie!" Amelia scolded.

"What? Like you aren't dying to know."

"Curious. The word is curious. We're not dying to know like you." Amelia said hotly.

"Calm down Bones. So what of it Juliet?" Mack asked.

'We've kissed-'

"Called it!" Dani said and held her hand out to Sophie who paid her a Knut.

"So this boyfriend of yours- he is your boyfriend right?" Amelia asked over her shoulder.

'Well, I think so.' She bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders.

"Did he ask you? To be his girlfriend or ask you out? To be exclusive?" Sophie asked.

Juliet shook her head no, and they all gasped.

"No way! You mean Marcus and I have been a couple this whole time, and you two haven't even made anything official?" Sophie said in reference to her and Avery dating. "Even Mack and Mulciber are sorta kind of exclusive."

"I told him I would go out with him if Slytherin won the Quidditch cup," Mack said with a huge smile. "Which will never happen- since Ravenclaw is gonna take it!" she flexed her biceps and laughed.

"You two have been dancing around each other since you met and you aren't official? What the hell is wrong with him?" Dani asked Juliet.

'There's nothing wrong with him!" Juliet got defensive.

"He went through all that trouble to get your stuff back and make it known to everyone- I mean EVERYONE that you were his." Sophie waved her hands dramatically.

"Maybe he got cold feet. Maybe he's just shy is all." Amelia suggested and kept braiding Juliet's hair.

"Maybe you should just ask him. Some guys like an assertive gal." Mack said as she got into bed and pulled the covers up.

"No! She can't do that! A proper lady can't go and ask a boy to be exclusive. Especially with this whole thing her Father started with those Gryffindors. I'm looking out for you dear." Amelia said and went back to her own bed.

"Don't worry, lass. He'll get his head right and ask you soon enough. Just wait. You too like each other, and right now that's all that matters." Dani said and turned off the lights.

Juliet didn't get much sleep that night. Severus never asked her to be official and by pureblood standards meant everything they were doing was wrong, but she didn't care! None of the pureblood stuff mattered, she just wanted to be happy and he made her happy. Maybe he didn't want to be dragged into this whole political thing that was going one. She was so confused. Perhaps Dani was right… perhaps he would ask her soon.

* * *

His friends came back with news to share. Lucius' father came back home early due to the blow up in the papers with Ollivander vs. everyone who's wronged his daughter. Which meant they couldn't have their party like they wanted but the things they heard were juicy. The Blacks tried to go to his father to ask for a loan until they could get into their vaults and he turned them away. He couldn't be associated with a muggle is what he told them and kicked them out of his home.

Severus got the last laugh when he found out that his mortal enemies and his childhood friend were not only kicked out of school but were kicked out of the wizarding world. He would never have to see them again, and he got the girl!

"Don't get too excited; my father told me that they'd be back. Old man Ollivander just wants to hurt them and make them sweat." Yaxley said.

"Hurt them. Twist the knife. Salt in the wounds. You know- basically turning them into muggles because they called his daughter… well, you know." Rowle explained.

"Well, it's been nearly a month. When does Ollivander get back?" Lucius asked him.

"How should I know?" Severus said.

"You're dating his daughter. You gotta have some insider information." Avery said.

"We don't talk about that stuff." He explained.

"Yeh- they're too busy snogging to talk." Mulciber laughed.

With the castle in full swing of things, they saw less of each other than they liked. Juliet wore her hair clips every day and when she wore her hair down. She clipped it to the front of her tie, not only so she wouldn't lose it, but so everyone could still see it. Severus wore the watch she gifted him every day and made sure to take it off during Herbology. With everyone back from break, it seemed like they went back to dancing around each other like before. She didn't know what his intentions were and he was unsure how she was with public displays of affection.

She knew when his birthday was because Regs told her. So she got him a gift and gave it to him in their spot by the window. It was a basket full of food she had made in the kitchens earlier that day. It was enough to feed him for a week! She pulled him down to her eye level by his green tie and kissed him hard enough to make his eyes roll to the back of his head.

A few weeks later Avery got a stern talking to from his girlfriend Sophie about Severus not properly asking Juliet out. The pureblood ways of courting are what she called it. For a half-blood, she knew her stuff. Then Avery told Severus who started to have a panic attack.

"You mean" he was taking short breaths. "She's not- my girlfriend?" Someone was going to take her away from him! Was the room spinning? He sat on his bed to keep himself from falling over.

Regs helped him by patting him on the back and said, "Don't worry big brother, tomorrow you just walk up to her and ask her to be your girl."

"Actually… with all that's going on in the papers he's really got to do it properly." Lucius said from his bed. "You know... ask her father to court her."

"Ugh…" he moaned as he put his head between his legs and kept his fast-paced breathing. He was going to be sick. Public speaking was something he wasn't overly fond of, but that wasn't the problem. It was the fear of rejection. After all this time together over the holiday, there was a chance she might say no.

"If you barf I will too," Nott said and covered his eyes.

"He's not gonna-" Regs was cut off by Severus vomiting between his legs. "well how about that."

"Ah! Ugh! Oh god!" Nott screamed and ran to the bathroom. Regs flicked his wand to the mess and cleaned it.

"He ain't gotta ask her father to court her. That's only if he was going to marry her." Avery said.

Severus groaned again and wrapped his arms around his head. "Fuuuuuck me."

"Oh look at that. He wants to marry her. Our little Snape is growing up. Courting pretty pureblood girls…" Yaxley said.

Severus heaved as he spoke. "Ruuugh." Every time he vomited an echo of Nott puking came from the bathroom.

"Asking for their hand in marriage." He continued.

"Ruuugh."

"Then going off and having a bunch of babies…"

"Ruuugh."

"Alright stop teasing him. He doesn't have much left to puke." Regs said after cleaning up the last bit again.

"And I think Nott is dead in there." Rowle laughed when he head the boy's body hit the tiled floor in exhaustion.


	12. Chapter 12

"Tell me again how you are here, but your entire family is excommunicado?" Lucius asked Regs at the breakfast table.

"Yeah! Even your cousins were kicked out of school." Rowle said.

"Huh? Oh yeah, Juliet wrote to her Father that we're friends and he excluded me. Changed my last name temporarily." Regs said and shrugged his shoulders.

"What do you mean changed your name?" Yaxley asked.

Regs stood up and gave a formal bow. "I am Regulus Arcturus from the House Bulstrode." He sat down giggling. "Changed my name to my one of my mother's cousins temporarily."

"You mean your father's cousin too," Avery smirked at his jab to their inbreeding.

"But the rest of your family…" Lucius trailed off.

"Are bloody pissed! It's the best thing that's ever happened." Regs smiled through a mouth full of eggs. "They want me to go to the family vault and draw out money, but I refused. Told them I don't know who they are; I don't talk to strangers. My mother had a fit!"

"You're dead after all this. You know that right?" Lucius said.

"Nah. I'm the good son no matter what. Sirius is the bad sheep. They kicked him out, disowned him. He ran off to live with Potter and them." He explained. "I could set the house on fire and marry a Hippogriff- like my great uncle Albert- and they still wouldn't do anything. I'm the last of their kin. Mother can't have any more children. It's clear fucking sailing from here!"

Yaxley leaned over to Severus who wasn't eating. He was staring at Juliet from across the great hall with a forlorn expression. "Will you just go ask her? You look pathetic."

He shook his head no quickly and got up to leave suddenly. He felt sick at the thought of having to talk to her; he lost all nerve and confidence he built over the last few months.

"Poor bastard." Mulciber sighed.

* * *

He watched her from a distance. His friends called it stalking; he called it field research. He was with her the most in the Library, from behind the shelves as he wrote in his journal about her. 'Back of the room, her face in a book, her skirt riding high on her thigh.' His tie felt tight around his throat. 'Number one student, top of the class, she exists to no one but me here.' People would come and go around them, yet they never bothered to notice them. 'What to say? She is so beautiful; she'd never want me. Who is she? She says nothing to no one perpetually…' He still couldn't talk to her; her rejection would tear him apart. He had been rejected by Lily before, and he never wanted to feel that again.

"So soft and gentle...so beautiful..." He would mumble to himself as he watched her from afar.

'I dream of her...Playing out scenes in my mind...I dream of her...Kissing me gently, caressing...' He went weeks without her touch now, and he was lusting for her affection. 'A simple touch and I am hers… painless…' The thought of her drove him mad; he couldn't sleep at night. He began to study astronomy because it was all she worked on. "In my favorite dreams, she feels so real... forever orbiting apart…I just want to be close to her… She is my Aphelion…' He never minded the cold, until he felt her warmth for the first time. "In those dreams, I feel her heat, yet I'm farthest from the Sun.'

He notices the blush on her face, the swollen lip from biting it nervously, and most often he gazed at the cross which hung between her breasts. 'The cross represents a God that was created by human minds… A ghost to scare you, make you succumb…' His father claimed to be a religious man, beating the wicked out of him and his mother. His father tried to cast out the demons from them with the bible he read; he was a devout servant of the Lord. 'My hate comes from my mind, violence in my past. I fixate and connect, obsess and destroy.' He didn't follow the path of the righteous like his father. 'This abuse created demons, one violent… one demure.' He didn't believe in a God that never saved him from that hell. 'I am my own savior.'

* * *

The Day of her birthday her father picked her up from school. It was also ash Wednesday in her religion. They were gone for most of the morning, and she returned after lunch with a black cross marked in ash on her forehead. People stared and whispered around her, but she held her head high. He watched her pray when she thought she was alone. Making the sign of the cross, her eyes shut and hands folded before her. 'She is the angel of mercy… she decides my fate. I am the fallen angel… an eternal outcast... forgotten son.' He wanted to rip that cross of her neck. Let her worship no one but him, have her ask no one but him for salvation. Bare no mark of another but his. 'I want to consume her… fill the void of her God.'

He couldn't stay away anymore; he stepped behind her as she stood near a bookshelf in the Defense section of the library. Her head bent, and her bangs were falling in front of her face but still, she read her book.

"You wear ashes... the mark of a sinner." He said quietly in her ear. He wasn't touching her; he couldn't touch her. Her warmth was so enticing, like a moth to a flame.

Her back straightened, it could have been a shiver. She turned her head slightly to look at him over her shoulder. Her nose was nearly touching his cheek. "It's shape means I can be saved." She whispered back to him, her warm breath on his skin.

"Your religion says you are either a sinner or a saint. Which do you believe yourself to be?" his arms leaning against the shelf in front of her. She was trapped.

"Why do I have to be one or the other?" she turned to face him. He hadn't looked into those eyes in over a month now. He could see her pupils focusing on him, the dark center surrounded by silver.

He towered over her, causing her to lean her head back. Showing him the delicate flesh of her neck he wanted to mark. To wolves, this was a sign of submission.

"How could you be both?" answering questions with more questions. Their noses were nearly touching, her vanilla scent that he missed.

"The saint has a past, the sinner a future." Her breath was heavy; she sighed as she breathed the words to him.

"The devil can't be saved." He scowled.

"You are not the devil." She shook her head.

"Ego malum in se." he hissed. I am evil in itself, was what he told her in Latin. "Am I not leading you into temptation?" he wanted to kiss her. Claim her as his there and now.

"We may all have our demons, but you are not the devil." She avoided the question.

"You are an angel in the heavens above, and I am a demon in this hell." He was giving her a chance to leave him. Walk away now that she knew who he was.

"All good needs evil, it's the balance of the universe. Every saint needs a sinner to make them humble, and a sinner needs a savior." She countered.

"Can the demon be saved? Is he too far gone? Can the angel cure the demon?" he asked her suddenly. His tone was low, and his voice was like gravel, nearly growling.

She licked her lips. "Mark Twain once said 'But who prays for the sinner? Who in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner who needed it most?'"

"You say we all have our demons…" he tilted his head to the side and leaned in.

"And we all have our angels…" she tilted her head the other direction.

" **Then you are mine.** " He said firmly, his eyes glittering. He gripped the shelf hard, making it creak. "You are my angel." He said quickly in a softer tone, hoping he didn't frighten her.

"Then you are my demon." she breathed heavily.

His heart was attempting to beat out of his chest. He was going to devour her, show the world who she belonged to.

The bell rang for the study period to end, the last class of the day was beginning soon, and she had to hurry to make it across the castle. Her friend came to find her. "Juliet, come on!" Dani called out as she rounded the corner. She saw them and stopped mid-stride. "Sorry!" Then she hurried away in another direction while mouthing 'OH MY GOD' and waving her hands up and down.

He pushed himself away from her and lowered his arms. "This isn't over." He growled before leaving her alone in the aisle.


	13. Chapter 13

News of Garrick returning to England hit the press immediately. He went to Hogwarts to pick up his daughter, and they'd swarmed like vultures. The fathers of the children who hurt his daughter were waiting for them at the gate on their way out. He refused to speak to them until he celebrated his daughters birthday by attending Mass for Ash Wednesday.

They followed him around, refusing to let him out of their sights. He hinted that if they were coming to apologize, he wouldn't accept it unless it was from their sons and daughter. So the men apparated away to retrieve their families, Mr. Potter helped Mr. Evans with traveling side by side and joined them. The group of five families sat in the church awkwardly behind Garrick and Juliet who were in the front row.

The Mass was in Latin, and they looked around awkwardly when people started to say their peace with each other. They stood stiffly in line at the front for their bread, wine, and ashes. The boys whispered something to each other and quietly laughed. Mrs. Black reached over and smacked one of them on the back of the head and hissed for them to stop. After the Mass they walked out the front doors of the church and were surrounded by reporters.

"Well, I believe it's time we hear those apologies. Gentlemen?" Garrick thundered to the families. He wanted their apology in public and before of all the press. He was a cruel man. "Now that we have all made our peace with God, I hope we can see peace with each other."

Their fathers looked flush in the face with embarrassment and rage, yet they didn't speak it. Mr. Potter looked over at the boys and said: "Well, what do you have to say for yourselves?"

The quills and cameras of the press were going crazy, but everyone stayed silent as they waited. "We're sorry." They chorused.

"For what?" Garrick asked then held a hand up to stop them from speaking over him. "One at a time, I want to hear what it is specifically you're sorry for."

Juliet stood next to him with her hands folded in front of her, and her head held high. She needed to pose as the proper pureblood daughter in front of the press. Lily stepped forward and gave a small bow, "I'm sorry for not showing politeness when we first met and spreading rumors about you at school. I'm sorry about having your necklace, but I didn't know it was yours."

Remus stepped forward and looked down at his feet and said "I'm sorry for blowing up your potion and getting you burned in class. I'm sorry for hurting you."

Peter went next and said, "And I'm sorry that I stole your backpack and threw it out onto the frozen lake."

James and Sirius looked at each other briefly and waited for the other to go first. Mrs. Black shoved Sirius forward, and he said: "I'm sorry for threatening you…"

"Why did you threaten her?" Garrick asked with a raised brow. The reporters leaned in closer.

"Because she wouldn't go out with me."

"Why didn't you want to go out with him?" Garrick asked Juliet, knowing her answer.

She waved her wand. 'Because he is engaged to a muggle-born girl named Bertha Jenkins, whom he cheats on regularly.' The press went wild with questions, and his parents' faces were priceless. Mrs. Black looked like she was about to have a heart attack. Sirius scowled at her and clenched his hands at his side.

"What else?" Garrick asked.

"I'm sorry for trying to push you down the stairs and hexing you in charms class." He said through clenched teeth. He stepped back before he said something he would have to apologize for as well.

James stepped forward and ran a hand awkwardly through his hair, "I'm sorry for stealing your necklace and giving it to another girl. For hexing you in the halls and saying bad things to you." He hoped Garrick wouldn't make him repeat it in front of his parents.

"What bad things did you say?" Garrick asked, and the reporters waited expectantly.

His parents gave him a firm look as they waited for him to confess. He gulped and looked up at Garrick who was gripping the hand of his sleeved wand. "I said…. Uh…. That only ill-bred witches and ….. uh….blasphemous whores wear the sign of the cross."

The crowd went crazy with what he said. Their questions pointed to their parents about how they raised their children and why they hated God. Mrs. Potter started to cry into her husband's shoulder. Garrick smirked at the children who made fools of themselves. "Well, who's next?" he looked to the adults now.

"We didn't do anything-" Mr. Lupin tried to say.

"That's exactly what you did. Nothing. I got letters from not only my daughter but other children from well-known houses, about the outrageous behavior of your children." Garrick pointed the finger at them all. "So I know for certain that you did too. Yet you didn't send an official apology to my daughter or me. That's the biggest insult of all. I am extremely disappointed in all of you, possibly more so than the children! Is this how you raised them? Is this how you conduct business?"

"What- No! We didn't get any letters!" Mrs. Potter said.

"Yes, you did. I got copies of them. We may be a quiet House, but we do have friends." He quirked a brow at her, waiting to see if she would try to lie again.

"We apologize, please accept our most humble apologies. We hope to make generous donations to the cause of your choice-" Mr. Black said with a bow.

"Do not insult me, Orion. We neither need nor want your charity. House Ollivander accepts your apologies but will never do further business with any of your houses." He said and wrapped an arm around Juliet.

They knew what that meant if they ever needed the sway of the Wizengamot he would vote against them every time. Any trades in stocks or gold would be canceled and they would essentially be taking a considerable loss. Right now the Lupins and Blacks had a lot of business in the import and export of goods with Ollivander Trading Company. Both men winced at the thought of what that meant gold wise.

The press started to clap and take more pictures. He looked down his nose at them and said "You can write this down, draw a picture, frame it- I don't care. However, you need to remember this. That includes any marriages. The Great House Ollivander will never join houses with House Black, Potter, Lupin, Pettigrew or Evans. We bid you a good day, and good luck on any future endeavors."

The families who stood with mouths hung open in shock. Ollivander just made it public they would never join houses financially or legally by marriage; this meant that other houses would pull away from them as well. Getting knocked down meant they would have to go above and beyond to regain their status and carry on their bloodline. Garrick held onto his daughter and apparated her back to school; leaving them to the vulture-like reporters. He would send word to his contacts to reinstate them and allow the children back to school; as well as serve them with a hefty fine for slander against his daughter.

When the Gryffindors came back to school, they anticipated everyone missing them and greeting them upon their return. Most people avoided them at all costs; no one wanted anything to do with any of them. Most of their fellow Gryffindors seemed to forgive and forget though.

The snow melted it spring was coming. They were sitting in the courtyard joking around with each other. Talking about their favorite topic; girls. Which made Lily uncomfortable and a little jealous when she heard them talk about who's skirt they wouldn't mind lifting. They all stopped immediately when Juliet and her friends walked by on their way to the lake.

The boys stood at attention, bowed their heads and said "Good day Miss Ollivander." Then picked up their conversation again when she left. It didn't get past Lily.

"Wait- You stopped talking when she passed by. Why?" She asked as she cut off Frank Longbottom.

"Well, it's rude to speak of such things in front of a Lady," Frank said as if she should have known; the other boys agreed.

"So I'm not a lady then?" She asked and crossed her arms.

"You know what I mean." He shrugged his shoulders and put his hands in his pockets.

"No, I don't." She called her fist and shook it at him.

His eyes went wide, and he stepped back while raising his hands to block her possible punches. "I didn't mean to offend!"

"Calm down, Lils. Not sayin' you ain't-a girl." James said as he laughed at her. His friends started laughing too, and they all walked away back inside the castle.

"But I'm not a Lady?" she was about to run after him and knock his block off.

"He means Lady as in coming of age. Girls that are coming of age are considered Ladies now. The Lady shouldn't hear such things, and gentlemen shouldn't say such things around them." Her friend Mary explained.

"I'm fifteen already! I have been for three months now. And my birthday is three weeks before hers, why- what about me?" she asked with a hurt look on her face.

"She's a Pureblood, they are called a Lady. Now that she's fifteen the men will start to look at her as a prospect for a wife; they will reach out to her father and ask to court her. Whether she agrees or disagrees they go from there; at seventeen they will ask for her hand in marriage. Well more like they will have to get permission to ask her, you know- after her father approves. There's a whole lot of girls that the boys will have their eye on but she's at the top." Mary said and patted her shoulder.

"They have a list now?!" she said in an offensive tone.

"It's not an actual list, it's the standard of things. She comes from the purest, richest House who's ancestors are linked to Merlin himself. Until she is promised to someone, she will always be at the top of the list. The number one on their radar." Alice said.

"More like she's got a big flashing sign above her head," Mary said under her breath. Lily scowled at her. "What? She's a unicorn princess, whatever James and Remus called

Then it goes down the line; Bella Black is promised to Lestrange- the older one, and Narcissa will most likely be paired off to Malfoy or Rowle." Alice said and shrugged her shoulders as if it were normal for this to happen.

"But James and them can't court her. Her father swore they would never join houses." Lily said and pointed towards where Juliet had walked off to.

"No, but they still have to show her respect and etiquette because the other houses are watching," Alice said.

"Where am I on this list then? When will the boys line up to court me?" she asked hotly and put her hands on her shoulders.

"Well…" Alice looked to Mary for help.

"It's dumb, you don't want to-" Mary tried to say.

"I'm not even on the list?!" Lily screeched. Everyone in the courtyard stopped and looked at her.

"Don't worry about some pureblood nonsense, Lily. Status doesn't mean everything, don't worry. A nice boy will ask to court you, you'll see." Alice said.

"Where are you two on the list?" She asked. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes were watery.

"Probably like tenth for me. Alice is waiting for her dad to approve someone for her, he hasn't told her who yet." Mary said and smiled at her shorter friend. "But she's been fifteen since last September."

"So you think James will come back around? Court me?" she asked hopefully. Both her friends tried not to wince, but she caught it and sighed while slumping her shoulders.

"He's fifteen now too. He's of age to court and-" Alice was cut off by Mary elbowing her hard in the ribs.

"Of course he'll come around. He'd be stupid not to!" Mary cut in.

Lily smiled sadly and tried not to let the tears leak from her eyes. She sniffed and stood up straight. "I'll be back; I'm going to the ladies room."

Once she was out of earshot, they gave each other a painful look. "He's not comin' round." They said at the same time.

"Why didn't you tell her?" Alice asked.

"Well, what was I supposed to say? That she was practice for him? That he was fooling around until he came of age and got promised off?" Mary said when Alice gave her a look.

"I don't know, but lying to her isn't right. It's not her fault she doesn't know any better." Alice said.

"Alice…. I know she's muggle-born- doesn't matter to me- but she's been in the wizarding world now for what? Five years going on six- she needs to know these things. She should have looked them up because one day she's going to make a fool of herself or get in trouble." Mary said quietly to her.

"I know, but we have to ease her into this-"

"She already got kicked out of the wizarding world once! Because she didn't recognize hierarchy at a party. Circe's sake Alice! She's gonna piss off the wrong people one day, and we won't be able to save her." Mary scolded Alice as she stood up straight and smiled at Lily who came back.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this fic is up to chapter 49 in FFN but I'm slowly getting this updated to AO3. Stick with me.

Juliet couldn't go back to sleep the night she heard her name called. Once she read the crinkled letter she found on the floor she was wide awake. She read it over and over until the sun came up. She couldn't put it down, she folded it up and tucked it away in the inner pocked of her robes. Throughout the day she would pull it out and read it in class or when she was alone. It made her heart race and her cheeks flush every time she read it. She waited to see if Severus would come to her and discuss the letter she found, he left it there for her to find right? Was this him telling her he was going to petition for her to her father?

She would blush and smile at him in the halls, in class and at meals. Yet he never came up to talk to her, instead he kept moving or would duck his head and turn away when she met his eye. She wondered if he was waiting for a response from her father, or perhaps even her. Maybe he wanted to know if she would accept him, well of course she would! She knew her father would accept his petition if she told him to pick Severus but she had no clue as of what to do. She didn't share the letter with her friends, no one knew about it but her and she liked for it to stay like that. The things written in the letter were personal and the beautiful words were hopefully meant just for her.

Severus went back to watching her and keeping his distance, he panicked whenever her eyes turned his way. He would freeze and lose all sense of himself in her presence. She tried to switch partners in Herbology so she would be a partner with him and he foolishly ran like a coward. So she had to partner with Rowle who didn't seem to mind one bit. Their assignment was to trim the saplings growing at the base of a plant that liked to strangle its meals. It was a smaller and not as deadly as it's cousin, the Devil's Snare but it could still cause some damage.

Severus watched in jealousy as the two devised a cunning plan to take down the fighting plant. Juliet stood in front of Rowle with her protective glasses and trimming sheers at the ready. Rowle stood behind her with his front pressed to her back and his long arms coming out on either side of her. He fought off the defensive plant while she ducked under and trimmed it. Severus was certain he cracked a tooth with how hard he was clenching his teeth. Juliet and Rowle were first to finish and were awarded 5 points each for their smart thinking. They gave each other a celebratory high five and huge smiles, it made Severus sick. He left early and took the zero for the day, leaving Lucius on his own to handle the plant that tried to eat him; Avery and Yaxley had to save him.

He wanted to throw Rowle through the greenhouse glass wall. Then toss her over his shoulder in a manly fashion and carry her back to the castle. He didn't want Rowle's giant dirty paws all over her, he didn't want anyone touching her at all! He knew what it felt like, he thought about it constantly- especially at night and he couldn't stand the sight of anyone else touching her. Severus was protective of things that were his or he considered his in this instance.

He didn't have many things in life but he guarded them, like treasure to a dragon in a castle. Call it overprotective, stingy, greedy, whatever word that everyone needed to understand that you didn't take, touch or break things that were his. He hadn't been lying that drunken night when he told his friends he wanted to put a collar on her neck. He wasn't lying about her being his angel either. When he was a child he went to a festival where he had seen a falconer with his large winged pet. He had a long leather strap that hooked to its leg, so when it flew it could only go so far before having to return to it's master to land.

He wanted to put a collar on her so he wouldn't inhibit her flight in life but she could never leave him. His angel could rise to the heavens and above but would always come back to him wherever he was. The wicked voice in the back of his head talked about it constantly, he daydreamed about making her wear it and sit at his feet or on his lap as she laid her hands on him. He also thought about how fucked in the head he was.

* * *

He watched her in the library, it was his favorite time of day because no one bothered either of them. He could watch her studying her charts and bite her lip in frustration. He couldn't understand how she was so enthralled in astronomy when it seemed like she was struggling with it. She told him before that she was a taking on a personal project but didn't go any further on the topic. Today she seemed to be completely fed up with whatever she was working on and was getting heated. Severus got to see her in her full beauty, face flushed and fire in her eyes.

She was at her usual study table with her Ravenclaw friends, Rowle, Mulciber and Regs. All of them were quietly talking and laughing with each other except Juliet. She was holding one of her charts high above her and turning it around in different directions. Then she would refer to the book in front of her and scowl. Something in her snapped because she stood up suddenly, making her chair screech against the floor and everyone in the library look up from their work. She looked down at the charts spread out and opened her mouth in a silent scream she wanted to roar. Regs stood up and tried to calm her down but she ignored him and bunched up all of her precious charts, there must have been over a dozen. With a determined look on her face she carried them all with two arms towards the door.

Everyone watched her as she shoved them forcefully into the trash bin. She was getting frustrated that they wouldn't all fit and started to punch and kick at the can. Regs, Mulciber and Rowle rushed over and tried to get her to stop before they got kicked out.

"Hey! That's enough!" Regs hissed at her but she kept going after the large can that started to get pushed against the wall loudly.

Rowle picked her up by the middle from behind and tried to pull her back. Severus watched his little firework go off, seeing her temper for the first time put him in awe. She must have had a surprising amount of strength because Rowle couldn't hold onto her. He could see her mouth forming words he didn't know a Lady knew. Mulciber came to help Rowle pull her away from the offensive trash bin as Regs tried to talk her down.

"Alright, you made your point! You won! You won! Just walk aw-AIGH!" Regs tried to get in between her and the can.

She pulled her wand out as Mulciber and Rowle were carrying her away and cast a bright red spell at the trash can. Regs yelped and dove out of the way, landing hard on the stone floor. The bin went up in flames, all the charts succumbing to its raging heat while Juliet continued to cursed at it with a fierce look on her face. Regs got up and put it out with a jet of water from his wand. He turned around and tried to straighten his hair out as he addressed everyone in the library.

"Heh heh… finals- am I right?" he said awkwardly and turned about face and ran after his friends who just carried Juliet away. Her friends had packed everyone's things away and followed them out of the library, luckily for Juliet that Madam Pince was back in her office and not witness to her outburst.

Severus was too shocked to follow them out. That was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen her do. Her temper lashing out as she wrecked havoc on the now smoking trash bin as if it offended her mother. His little Ravenclaw had a temper that burned brightly inside her, he could see it in her eyes. She was his little ball of rage. Oh yes, the Ollivander princess had a fire inside of her just like he did and he wanted it.

* * *

Juliet had given up on her astronomy charts for the time being. She still wanted to go home to her own timeline but she thought it best that she take a break from it and focus on her school work. She wasn't where she wanted to be in her potions class and wanted to get a study partner for the subject. Regs joined her at their usual study table where she asked him if he could help her with her essay on the 12 uses of dragon's blood since he was getting top marks in the class.

"I'm a year younger than you and haven't covered any of this subject matter yet." He apologized as he turned her down. Seeing her face fall and being the Slytherin he was gave him the perfect opening. "However… I know the perfect person to help you out." He led her on.

'Who?' she signed. Regs had been a quick learner when it came to understanding sign language, he got confused sometimes but understood her for the most part.

"My friend Severus Snape. Have you met him? I can introduce you two." He said in mock innocence.

Her eyes lit up and she blushed brightly at his words. The light red tint quickly coloring her cheeks and neck. 'I don't think he would want to help me… I don't want to waste his time.'

"Nonsense! He's right over there, come on!" he got up and pulled her by the hand.

She barely had time to grab her book and bag as he led her across the library. Severus looked up from his own essay and nearly jumped out of his seat at the sight of Regs marching over to him. What did he do? He couldn't remember doing anything to anger his friend. Then he saw who was being dragged behind him, his mouth went dry.

"Snape! Just the man we are looking for!" Regs said and pulled Juliet to stand next to him. She gave him a genuine smile then blushed and tried to hide behind her bangs.

"Why- I mean hi." He said suddenly and sat up straight. He shut the journal he was writing in about her and quickly shoved it into his bag.

"Juliet needs help in potions and I told her you were the top of the class. The best man for the job, to help her with all her  _needs._ " Regs said slyly and winked at Severus.

"Uh- Yes. What do you need?" he looked at Juliet. Did it matter? She could have asked him to rob Gringotts and he would do it!

She set her book at the edge of his table and signed. 'I need help with my potions essay… the 12 uses of dragon's blood. Will you please tutor me?' She looked at him and bit her lip awkwardly.

His heart was racing, his mouth was unbelievably dry as he tried to form the words. His mouth opened and closed a few times and Regs cleared his throat loudly.

"Well Snape? Do you have the time to spare? A few hours a day  _one on one_  to tutor her in potions? The rest of us wouldn't want to interfere, I'll make sure we leave you all  _alone_. You know… so you two can focus on  _helping each other_ -" Regs was never the subtly one out of their group of friends. Hell, he didn't even know how to whisper.

"Yes! Ahem, of course. I- I can help you. When did you want to start-" he stumbled on his words.

"Now! See you later, have fun studying!" Regs said suddenly and pushed her into the chair next to Severus and rushed off.

Her bag fell to the floor with a loud thump when she dropped it trying not to lose her balance. Severus scooted his books over to make room for her quickly. "Where are you strug- I mean what are you stuck on?" he asked her when she opened her books and her pulled out her essay.

She pointed to the question written on the top of her essay with the quill he had given her. He reached for the essay and said "I know the answer- I can do it for you."

She shook her head no and pulled it away from him. 'I'm not here looking for answers.'

"I don't mind, really. I can just write it for you." He reached for it again. He wanted to please her, do it for her just like he used to for Lily. Anything she wanted he would provide for her or kill himself trying just to have her smile at him. Who knew? Maybe she would touch him again with her hands or sweet lips.

She shook her head and grabbed his hands to stop him. He froze stiff at her touch, she whispered and bit her lip. "I'm not here for the answers. I don't want you to do my homework for me. I want your knowledge, I can't learn anything if I don't understand it.'

She was nothing like Lily, he knew that but this just made him fall even further for her. She wanted to do it herself, unlike Lily who would bat her eyes and touch his arm to do it for her. She wanted to spend time with him and go over this the right way. He slowly nodded and held his hand out for her essay again. She pulled her chair closer to him and leaned in close to him so they could study.

He could smell her sweet scent and feel the heat radiating off of her. His left leg started to bounce up and down, a tick he had when he was nervous. She looked up at him with those big shiny eyes and smiled. He mentally thanked his best friend in the whole world for dropping this angel in front of him. They spent the next two hours going over her notes and he took out his own to compare. He saw her blush when he leaned in to explain something to her so he put his arm on the back of her chair. They continued to slip each other light touches on the arms and she pressed her leg against his.

* * *

He tried to find the courage to ask if he could court her but he just couldn't bring him self to do it. The bell rang for dinner and they both looked at each other, neither wanting to leave just yet. He moved away from her and started to put his things away. She put her hand on his thigh under the table and whispered his name. He jumped and hit his knee on the underside of the table.

"Severus wait. Please?"

He stopped packing and turned to look at her. "I can escort you to dinner…" he said awkwardly.

She shook her head no and waited for everyone in the library to leave before she asked him, "Did you petition for me?"

Fear filled his mind as he tried to think of what to say. She put him on the spot and he tried to find his voice. "Uh…. I …. Um… no."

He watched her face fall and her mouth form a small 'oh' and she pulled her hand away from his thigh. He could still feel the warmth of her touch on it.

"Did you want me to? I- I… uh…" he didn't know what to say.

'I thought that with your letter… I just… I'm sorry I assumed.' She signed sadly and looked down at her lap.

A red flag went up in his head and he started to sweat. "L-l-letter?"

She pulled out the folded piece of parchment and held it out to him. The ball in his throat hit the bottom of his stomach and he felt everything come crashing down in his mind. Cold fear set in and he could barely move his arm to reach for it. He had forgotten about this drunken stupidity and that horrid letter.

"I found it in my common room. You left it for me to find didn't you?"

"That could be anyone's." He lied and tried to look away.

"It has your name signed on it." She whispered softly. She wasn't letting him get away from her again. "And I think a bit of your blood…" she pointed to a red spot on the edge of it.

He suddenly remembered thinking it was a good idea to prick his finger that night put a bloody print on it to show his devotion. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. He took the letter from her and refused to look her in the eye.

"Can you read it to me?" She asked and put her hand back on his thigh.

His face was on fire with embarrassment and he wanted to run far away from her. The weight of her hand seemed to anchor him to his seat. "You've already read it."

"I want to hear you read it." She squeezed his thigh.

He unfolded the letter and took in a shaky breath. "To Garrick of Noble House Ollivander. I Severus Snape of House Prince-  _don't ask_ -" Severus closed his eyes and hung his head for a moment in shame. He couldn't believe he wrote that.

"Would be honored to court your daughter, Lady Juliet. I write to you asking begging demanding-" he sighed heavily as he saw the words "asking" and "begging" crossed out before the word demanding.

"That you allow me to woo her." The word woo was spelt with several O's, who the hell gave him a quill that night? He felt her eyes on him but he couldn't bring himself to look at her.

He continued to read the world's worst petition ever written, he might as well have used a crayon. He kept his jaw tight and his lips barely moving as he continued with this embarrassing letter. "Unlike any of the other suitors (aka jackasses) I have nothing to bring to the table." He winced. He was so nervous that his hands were shaking and it was hard to read the paper.

He heard her breath hitch when he said that and chanced a peek of her out of the corner of his eye. She was watching him with big eyes and slightly parted lips. She was hanging on his every word and slowly leaning in closer, her thumb rubbing small circles on his thigh.

"My family has no land or coin to offer in trade or gift, and I own nothing but the clothes on my back and heart on my sleeve. I would gladly give both over without hesitation if it made her happy." He spelled every other word wrong and for some reason thought he needed a large quantity of commas. He heard her sigh and he saw her bite her lip. He couldn't concentrate with her fingers idly running up and down his thigh. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to read the next part, his scratchy script started to smear in places he didn't wait for ink to dry.

"Lady Juliet consumes my every thought and dream. Her glowing eyes pierce my soul, her gentle touch calms the beast within me and….." Severus stopped when he saw the next words. He looked to her for pity, to let him stop reading but she smiled and nudged him to continue.

"And that ass…." He heard her breath a would be giggle and he felt his cheeks burn bright red.

" _De profundis clamavi_ and she is my angel that answered. I vow to keep her safe and make her smile until the day I die. To provide for her in anyway she needs in hopes that one day she will… she will… accept my hand in marriage. Signed, Severus Tobias Snape of House Prince." He folded the latter back up and put it on the table. The Latin he wrote translated to 'Out of the depths I have cried.' He sat silently staring at his hands with his hair covering his face.

"Why didn't you send it?" she whispered.

His head shot up to look at her. "Weren't you listening?" he said in reference to the monstrosity sitting between them.

"Yes I was. Did you mean it?" she asked with a shy whisper.

"I was drunk…"

"Oh… I- I understand." She withdrew her hand from him and reached for the letter.

"The words are true. Every single one of them. I didn't send it because I have nothing to offer you. I have no coin to spoil you with-" he was rambling quickly with his excuses.

She suddenly stood up and snatched the letter up and tucked it away again. 'I'm sorry for giving you the impression that I cared about such things. Thank you for helping me with my essay. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to my astronomy club.' She signed quickly and refused to look him in the eye. He heard her sniffle and wipe her face, was she crying?

"No- wait. Please- I didn't mean…" he stood up quickly and tried to stop her and explain but she had already grabbed her things and rushed out of the library.

He grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it with all his strength, sending it crashing into the one across from him and his books and papers everywhere. " **FUCK!** " He roared in the empty library.

He stood there staring at the door she just walked out of and trying to catch his breath. She wasn't going to ever come back now, and someone else was going to court her. He kicked the chair she was sitting it and sent it flying away from him. No one else can have her!

"Tsk tsk…" a voice said from behind him.

Severus jumped and spun around with his wand in hand. Albus was leaning against the bookshelf and looking at some imaginary dirt under his nails.

"Professor- I uh- it was an accident. I'll clean it immediately." He said and lowered his wand and straightened his robes.

Albus chuckled and waved his hand, sending everything back to its right place for him. "Ah… young love. Fickle thing isn't it?"

Severus scowled and looked down at his feet. "You heard."

"You were rather loud. Tell me… you like her and she likes you. What's the problem?" Albus asked and stepped closer to Severus. His eyes twinkling over his glasses as he looked down at him with a knowing smile.

He didn't want to have this conversation with his headmaster, he'd been through enough embarrassment today. "I… have nothing to offer. I'm poor, I'm too tall and too skinny. I know my teeth are crooked and my nose too large for my face. I won't pretend to be oblivious to my own faults. I don't deserve her. She's too…. Too perfect." There it was. All of his fears said out loud and it seemed so real now.

Albus put his hand on his shoulder and said, "May I offer advice?"

His head shot up and he looked at him like he was mad. "What?"

"You say you have faults but what about what you do have? Some ladies like the tall dark and handsome. Stand up straight, hold your head high and use the gifts you do have." Albus said and nudged his back to straighten him out. Then tilted his chin higher to raise his head.

"But I-" Severus tried to argue as his headmaster pushed him about.

"Mr. Snape you have what a lot of boys your age don't. A very nice speaking voice. Velvet Is the word I think I saw Miss Ollivander telling her friends. Why do you think she asked you to read the letter out loud to her?" Albus said knowingly.

His eyes went wide and his cheeks flushed. "She- she said that? What else did she say?"

"Why don't you ask her? She's been waiting for you to send your petition to her Father. She told him not to accept any others sent in." He said and pat him on the back. "Now with her seeing your…  _hesitation…_  I don't know." He shrugged and started to walk away.

Severus stood there staring into nothing as the information he just heard turned over and over in his mind.

Albus cleared his throat from the doorway of the library and Severus looked back at him. "Oh and Mr. Snape… remember what I said.  _Own it._ " Then he flicked his beard over his shoulder in a feminine manner and squared his shoulders and walked out of the library.

"She likes my voice…" Severus said to himself.

"She likes my voice." He said with confidence. She thought he didn't want her.

"SHIIIIIIIIIT!" He yelled as he grabbed his bag and ran out of the library.


	15. Chapter 15

Juliet couldn't go back to sleep the night she heard her name called. Once she read the crinkled letter she found on the floor she was wide awake. She read it over and over until the sun came up. She couldn't put it down, she folded it up and tucked it away in the inner pocket of her robes. Throughout the day she would pull it out and read it in class or when she was alone. It made her heart race and her cheeks flush every time she read it. She waited to see if Severus would come to her and discuss the letter she found, he left it there for her to find right? Was this him telling her he was going to petition for her to her father?

She would blush and smile at him in the halls, in class, and at meals. Yet he never came up to talk to her. Instead, he kept moving or would duck his head and turn away when she met his eye. She wondered if he was waiting for a response from her father, or perhaps even her. Maybe he wanted to know if she would accept him, well, of course, she would! She knew her father would accept his petition if she told him to pick Severus but she had no clue as of what to do. She didn't share the letter with her friends, no one knew about it, but her and she liked for it to stay like that. The things written in the letter were personal, and the beautiful words were hopefully meant just for her.

Severus went back to watching her and keeping his distance; he panicked whenever her eyes turned his way. He would freeze and lose all sense of himself in her presence. She tried to switch partners in Herbology so she would be a partner with him and he foolishly ran like a coward. So she had to partner with Rowle who didn't seem to mind one bit. Their assignment was to trim the saplings growing at the base of a plant that liked to strangle its meals. It was a smaller and not as deadly as it's cousin, the Devil's Snare but it could still cause some damage.

Severus watched in jealousy as the two devised a cunning plan to take down the fighting plant. Juliet stood in front of Rowle with her protective glasses and trimming sheers at the ready. Rowle stood behind her with his front pressed against her back, and his long arms were coming out on either side of her. He fought off the defensive plant while she ducked under and trimmed it. Severus was sure he cracked a tooth with how hard he was clenching his teeth. Juliet and Rowle were first to finish and were awarded 5 points each for their smart thinking. They gave each other a celebratory high five and huge smiles; it made Severus sick. He left early and took the zero for the day, leaving Lucius on his own to handle the plant that tried to eat him; Avery and Yaxley had to save him.

He wanted to throw Rowle through the greenhouse glass wall. Then toss her over his shoulder in a manly fashion and carry her back to the castle. He didn't want Rowle's giant dirty paws all over her; he didn't want anyone touching her at all! He knew what it felt like, he thought about it constantly- especially at night, and he couldn't stand the sight of anyone else touching her. Severus was protective of things that were his or what he considered his in this instance.

He didn't have many things in life, but he guarded them, like treasure to a dragon in a castle. Call it overprotective, stingy, greedy, whatever word that everyone needed to understand that you didn't take, touch or break things that were his. He hadn't been lying that drunken night when he told his friends he wanted to put a collar on her neck. He wasn't lying about her being his angel either. When he was a child, he went to a festival where he had seen a falconer with his large winged pet. He had a long leather strap that hooked to its leg, so when it flew, it could only go so far before having to return to it's master to land.

He wanted to put a collar on her so he wouldn't inhibit her flight in life but she could never leave him. His angel could rise to the heavens and above but would always come back to him wherever he was. The wicked voice in the back of his head talked about it constantly, he daydreamed about making her wear it and sit at his feet or on his lap as she laid her hands on him. He also thought about how fucked in the head he was.

* * *

He watched her in the library; it was his favorite time of day because no one bothered either of them. He could watch her studying her charts and bite her lip in frustration. He couldn't understand how she was so enthralled in astronomy when it seemed like she was struggling with it. She told him before that she was taking on a personal project but didn't go any further on the topic. Today she seemed to be completely fed up with whatever she was working on and was getting heated. Severus got to see her in her full beauty, face flushed and fire in her eyes.

She was at her usual study table with her Ravenclaw friends, Rowle, Mulciber, and Regs. All of them were quietly talking and laughing with each other except Juliet. She was holding one of her charts high above her and turning it around in different directions. Then she would refer to the book in front of her and scowl. Something in her snapped because she stood up suddenly, making her chair screech against the floor and everyone in the library look up from their work. She looked down at the charts spread out and opened her mouth in a silent scream she wanted to roar. Regs stood up and tried to calm her down, but she ignored him and bunched up all of her precious charts, there must have been over a dozen. With a determined look on her face, she carried them all with two arms towards the door.

Everyone watched her as she shoved them forcefully into the trash bin. She was getting frustrated that they wouldn't all fit and started to punch and kick at the can. Regs, Mulciber and Rowle, rushed over and tried to get her to stop before they got kicked out.

"Hey! That's enough!" Regs hissed at her, but she kept going after the large can that started to get pushed against the wall loudly.

Rowle picked her up by the middle from behind and tried to pull her back. Severus watched his little firework go off, seeing her temper for the first time put him in awe. She must have had a surprising amount of strength because Rowle couldn't hold onto her. He could see her mouth forming words he didn't know a Lady knew. Mulciber came to help Rowle pull her away from the offensive trash bin as Regs tried to talk her down.

"Alright, you made your point! You won! You won! Just walk aw-AIGH!" Regs tried to get in between her and the can.

She pulled her wand out as Mulciber and Rowle were carrying her away and cast a bright red spell at the trash can. Regs yelped and dove out of the way, landing hard on the stone floor. The bin went up in flames, all the charts succumbing to its raging heat while Juliet continued to cursed at it with a fierce look on her face. Regs got up and put it out with a jet of water from his wand. He turned around and tried to straighten his hair out as he addressed everyone in the library.

"Heh heh… finals- am I right?" he said awkwardly and turned about face and ran after his friends who just carried Juliet away. Her friends had packed everyone's things away and followed them out of the library, luckily for Juliet that Madam Pince was back in her office and not witness to her outburst.

Severus was too shocked to follow them out. That was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen her do. Her temper was lashing out as she wreaked havoc on the now smoking trash bin as if it offended her mother. His little Ravenclaw had a temper that burned brightly inside her, he could see it in her eyes. She was his little ball of rage. Oh yes, the Ollivander princess had a fire inside of her just like he did and he wanted it.

* * *

Juliet had given up on her astronomy charts for the time being. She still wanted to go home to her own timeline, but she thought it best that she take a break from it and focus on her school work. She wasn't where she wanted to be in her potions class and wanted to get a study partner for the subject. Regs joined her at their usual study table where she asked him if he could help her with her essay on the 12 uses of dragon's blood since he was getting top marks in the class.

"I'm a year younger than you and haven't covered any of this subject matter yet." He apologized as he turned her down. Seeing her face fall and being the Slytherin he was, gave him the perfect opening. "However… I know the perfect person to help you out." He led her on.

'Who?' she signed. Regs had been a quick learner when it came to understanding sign language, he got confused sometimes but understood her for the most part.

"My friend Severus Snape. Have you met him? I can introduce you two." He said in mock innocence.

Her eyes lit up, and she blushed brightly at his words. The light red tint was quickly coloring her cheeks and neck. 'I don't think he would want to help me… I don't want to waste his time.'

"Nonsense! He's right over there, come on!" he got up and pulled her by the hand.

She barely had time to grab her book and bag as he led her across the library. Severus looked up from his own essay and nearly jumped out of his seat at the sight of Regs marching over to him. What did he do? He couldn't remember doing anything to anger his friend. Then he saw who was being dragged behind him; his mouth went dry.

"Snape! Just the man we are looking for!" Regs said and pulled Juliet to stand next to him. She gave him a genuine smile then blushed and tried to hide behind her bangs.

"Why- I mean hi." He said suddenly and sat up straight. He shut the journal he was writing in about her and quickly shoved it into his bag.

"Juliet needs help in potions, and I told her you were the top of the class. The best man for the job, to help her with all her  _needs._ " Regs said slyly and winked at Severus.

"Uh- Yes. What do you need?" he looked at Juliet. Did it matter? She could have asked him to rob Gringotts, and he would do it!

She set her book at the edge of his table and signed. 'I need help with my potions essay… the 12 uses of dragon's blood. Will you please tutor me?' She looked at him and bit her lip awkwardly.

His heart was racing; his mouth was unbelievably dry as he tried to form the words. His mouth opened and closed a few times, and Regs cleared his throat loudly.

"Well, Snape? Do you have the time to spare? A few hours a day  _one on one_  to tutor her in potions? The rest of us wouldn't want to interfere; I'll make sure we leave you all  _alone_. You know… so you two can focus on  _helping each other_ -" Regs was never the subtly one out of their group of friends. Hell, he didn't even know how to whisper.

"Yes! Ahem, of course. I- I can help you. When did you want to start-" he stumbled on his words.

"Now! See you later, have fun studying!" Regs said suddenly and pushed her into the chair next to Severus and rushed off.

Her bag fell to the floor with a loud thump when she dropped it trying not to lose her balance. Severus scooted his books over to make room for her quickly. "Where are you strug- I mean what are you stuck on?" he asked her when she opened her books, and she pulled out her essay.

She pointed to the question written on the top of her essay with the quill he had given her. He reached for the essay and said: "I know the answer- I can do it for you."

She shook her head no and pulled it away from him. 'I'm not here looking for answers.'

"I don't mind, really. I can just write it for you." He reached for it again. He wanted to please her, do it for her just like he used to for Lily. Anything she wished he would provide for her or kill himself trying only to have her smile at him. Who knew? Maybe she would touch him again with her hands or sweet lips.

She shook her head and grabbed his hands to stop him. He froze stiff at her touch, she whispered and bit her lip. "I'm not here for the answers. I don't want you to do my homework for me. I want your knowledge; I can't learn anything if I don't understand it.'

She was nothing like Lily, he knew that, but this just made him fall even further for her. She wanted to do it herself, unlike Lily who would bat her eyes and touch his arm to do it for her. She wanted to spend time with him and go over this the right way. He slowly nodded and held his hand out for her essay again. She pulled her chair closer to him and leaned in close to him so they could study.

He could smell her sweet scent and feel the heat radiating off of her. His left leg started to bounce up and down, a tick he had when he was nervous. She looked up at him with those big shiny eyes and smiled. He mentally thanked his best friend in the whole world for dropping this angel in front of him. They spent the next two hours going over her notes, and he took out his own to compare. He saw her blush when he leaned in to explain something to her, so he put his arm on the back of her chair. They continued to slip each other light touches on the arms, and she pressed her leg against his.

* * *

He tried to find the courage to ask if he could court her but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. The bell rang for dinner, and they both looked at each other, neither wanting to leave just yet. He moved away from her and started to put his things away. She put her hand on his thigh under the table and whispered his name. He jumped and hit his knee on the underside of the table.

"Severus wait. Please?"

He stopped packing and turned to look at her. "I can escort you to dinner…" he said awkwardly.

She shook her head no and waited for everyone in the library to leave before she asked him, "Did you petition for me?"

Fear filled his mind as he tried to think of what to say. She put him on the spot, and he tried to find his voice. "Uh…. I …. Um… no."

He watched her face fall, and her mouth form a small 'oh,' and she pulled her hand away from his thigh. He could still feel the warmth of her touch on it.

"Did you want me to? I- I… uh…" he didn't know what to say.

'I thought that with your letter… I just… I'm sorry I assumed.' She signed sadly and looked down at her lap.

A red flag went up in his head, and he started to sweat. "L-l-letter?"

She pulled out the folded piece of parchment and held it out to him. The ball in his throat hit the bottom of his stomach, and he felt everything come crashing down in his mind. Cold fear set in and he could barely move his arm to reach for it. He had forgotten about this drunken stupidity and that horrid letter.

"I found it in my common room. You left it for me to find didn't you?"

"That could be anyone's." He lied and tried to look away.

"It has your name signed on it." She whispered. She wasn't letting him get away from her again. "And I think a bit of your blood…" she pointed to a red spot on the edge of it.

He suddenly remembered thinking it was a good idea to prick his finger that night put a bloody print on it to show his devotion. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. He took the letter from her and refused to look her in the eye.

"Can you read it to me?" She asked and put her hand back on his thigh.

His face was on fire with embarrassment, and he wanted to run far away from her. The weight of her hand seemed to anchor him to his seat. "You've already read it."

"I want to hear you read it." She squeezed his thigh.

He unfolded the letter and took in a shaky breath. "To Garrick of Noble House Ollivander. I Severus Snape of House Prince-  _don't ask_ -" Severus closed his eyes and hung his head for a moment in shame. He couldn't believe he wrote that.

"Would be honored to court your daughter, Lady Juliet. I write to you asking begging demanding-" he sighed heavily as he saw the words "asking" and "begging" crossed out before the word demanding.

"That you allow me to woo her." The word woo was spelled with several O's, who the hell gave him a quill that night? He felt her eyes on him, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her.

He continued to read the world's worst petition ever written; he might as well have used a crayon. He kept his jaw tight and his lips barely moving as he continued with this embarrassing letter. "Unlike any of the other suitors (aka jackasses) I have nothing to bring to the table." He winced. He was so nervous that his hands were shaking and it was hard to read the paper.

He heard her breath hitch when he said that and chanced a peek of her out of the corner of his eye. She was watching him with big eyes and slightly parted lips. She was hanging on his every word and slowly leaning in closer, her thumb rubbing small circles on his thigh.

"My family has no land or coin to offer in trade or gift, and I own nothing but the clothes on my back and heart on my sleeve. I would gladly give both over without hesitation if it made her happy." He spelled every other word wrong and for some reason thought he needed a large number of commas. He heard her sigh, and he saw her bite her lip. He couldn't concentrate with her fingers idly running up and down his thigh. He narrowed his eyes as he tried to read the next part, his scratchy script started to smear in places he didn't wait for the ink to dry.

"Lady Juliet consumes my every thought and dream. Her glowing eyes pierce my soul, her gentle touch calms the beast within me and….." Severus stopped when he saw the next words. He looked to her for pity, to let him finish reading but she smiled and nudged him to continue.

"And that ass…." He heard her breath a would be giggle and he felt his cheeks burn bright red.

" _De Profundis clamavi_ and she is my angel that answered. I vow to keep her safe and make her smile until the day I die. To provide for her in any way she needs in hopes that one day she will… she will… accept my hand in marriage. Signed, Severus Tobias Snape of House Prince." He folded the latter back up and put it on the table. The Latin he wrote translated to 'Out of the depths I have cried.' He sat silently staring at his hands with his hair covering his face.

"Why didn't you send it?" she whispered.

His head shot up to look at her. "Weren't you listening?" he said about the monstrosity sitting between them.

"Yes, I was. Did you mean it?" she asked with a shy whisper.

"I was drunk…"

"Oh… I- I understand." She withdrew her hand from him and reached for the letter.

"The words are true. Every single one of them. I didn't send it because I have nothing to offer you. I have no coin to spoil you with-" he was rambling quickly with his excuses.

She suddenly stood up and snatched the letter up and tucked it away again. 'I'm sorry for giving you the impression that I cared about such things. Thank you for helping me with my essay. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to my astronomy club.' She signed quickly and refused to look him in the eye. He heard her sniffle and wipe her face, was she crying?

"No- wait. Please- I didn't mean…" he stood up quickly and tried to stop her and explain, but she had already grabbed her things and rushed out of the library.

He grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it with all his strength, sending it crashing into the one across from him and his books and papers everywhere. " **FUCK!** " He roared in the empty library.

He stood there staring at the door she just walked out of and trying to catch his breath. She wasn't going ever to come back now, and someone else was going to court her. He kicked the chair she was sitting it and sent it flying away from him. No one else can have her!

"Tsk tsk…" a voice said from behind him.

Severus jumped and spun around with his wand in hand. Albus was leaning against the bookshelf and looking at some imaginary dirt under his nails.

"Professor- I uh- it was an accident. I'll clean it immediately." He said and lowered his wand and straightened his robes.

Albus chuckled and waved his hand, sending everything back to its right place for him. "Ah… young love. Fickle thing isn't it?"

Severus scowled and looked down at his feet. "You heard."

"You were rather loud. Tell me… you like her, and she likes you. What's the problem?" Albus asked and stepped closer to Severus. His eyes were twinkling over his glasses as he looked down at him with a knowing smile.

He didn't want to have this conversation with his headmaster; he'd been through enough embarrassment today. "I… have nothing to offer. I'm poor; I'm too tall and too skinny. I know my teeth are crooked and my nose too large for my face. I won't pretend to be oblivious to my own faults. I don't deserve her. She's too…. Too perfect." There it was. All of his fears said out loud, and it seemed so real now.

Albus put his hand on his shoulder and said, "May I offer advice?"

His head shot up, and he looked at him like he was mad. "What?"

"You say you have faults but what about what you do have? Some ladies like the tall dark and handsome. Stand up straight, hold your head high and use the gifts you do have." Albus said and nudged his back to straighten him out. Then tilted his chin higher to raise his head.

"But I-" Severus tried to argue as his headmaster pushed him about.

"Mr. Snape you have what a lot of boys your age don't. A very nice speaking voice. Velvet Is the word I think I saw Miss Ollivander telling her friends. Why do you think she asked you to read the letter out loud to her?" Albus said knowingly.

His eyes went wide, and his cheeks flushed. "She- she said that? What else did she say?"

"Why don't you ask her? She's been waiting for you to send your petition to her Father. She told him not to accept any others sent in." He said and patted him on the back. "Now with her seeing your…  _hesitation…_  I don't know." He shrugged and started to walk away.

Severus stood there staring into nothing as the information he just heard turned over and over in his mind.

Albus cleared his throat from the doorway of the library, and Severus looked back at him. "Oh and Mr. Snape… remember what I said.  _Own it._ " Then he flicked his beard over his shoulder in a feminine manner and squared his shoulders and walked out of the library.

"She likes my voice…" Severus said to himself.

"She likes my voice." He said with confidence. She thought he didn't want her.

"SHIIIIIIIIIT!" He yelled as he grabbed his bag and ran out of the library.


	16. Chapter 16

Albus had thought about his last conversation, more like an argument, with Juliet about her relationship with Severus. He ran the algorithms and plotted the course of the future with and without him in it. It couldn't be done. Every plan of action would require him to have someone on the inside, a spy right under Tom's nose. Everything depended on Severus, and if he couldn't gain the favor of the young man, then he would surely lose him.

Juliet spoke of how the Severus in her future was driven by guilt and anger of his ruined love with Lily Evans. The boy was undoubtedly over Miss Evans, and now there was a chance he might not fall into darkness like he was supposed to. Albus knew that if the alternate timeline Severus could easily be led by his heart then he would have to make it happen with another girl, Miss Ollivander.

If he nudged them both in the right direction he could lead the boy down the intended path of his needs. He could get his spy and keep his link to the future as long as he held the upper hand at all times. The two of them just had to find each other and Albus always considered himself a perfect matchmaker.

* * *

"You have to send the petition now." Lucius scolded as he threw one of his shoes at him in their dorm.

"Why? She fucking hates me now!" Severus yelled back as he ducked.

"Merlin help me- you know nothing about women! She says she doesn't want you to, but she does. It's some sort of messed up reverse psychology they have." Lucius rolled his eyes and sighed. He wanted to pull his hair out.

"Wouldn't bother, just gonna get denied like the rest of us." Nott huffed.

"HAH!" Severus laughed and pointed at him triumphantly. It was the best thing he had heard all day.

"What? Really? What did he say?" Yaxley asked.

"Nothing. He sent me back my own petition with a big ass red 'DENIED' stamp across it." Nott said with an annoyed look.

"Ouch. Well better to try and fail, than fail then fail again eh?" Rowle laughed and nodded his head in Severus' direction.

"Fuck you." he shot back.

"He's right. She read your letter and was obviously impressed by it. I handed you everything on a silver platter, and you still fucked up! You're on your own now, Snape." Regs said and wiped invisible dirt from his hands in his direction.

"Come on Regs. You're her friend. Tell me what she said." Severus begged.

"You're right. I'm her friend, and friends don't want to see their friends get hurt. I'm not telling you shit." Regs said and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"But-"

"You dug yourself into this hole. You better man the fuck up and apologize." Mulciber said and cracked his knuckles. "She's my friend too, and I'll knock your ruddy block off if you hurt her."

He couldn't believe this giant brute was protecting the little Ravenclaw, that was his job! Severus knew they were right; he needed to face his fears and make things right. He could blame no one but himself and knew what he had to do, write the petition and beg for mercy. So he got to it, sitting on his bed until the early morning hours writing and rewriting the petition until he thought it was perfect. All he had to do was send it and find a way to speak to her and apologize.

* * *

Juliet was the one avoiding Severus now that he told her he didn't petition for her and wasn't going to. She would be lying if she said it didn't hurt. She couldn't believe she had been so foolish to think that he liked her in that manner. They had kissed before and thought maybe he liked it too, but she should have seen the signs. The way he would only get close to her if no one was around. How he would avoid her when in public and not speak to her.

She sent a letter to Garrick, telling him that she didn't want him to accept any of them. She told him she would rather focus on school instead. Garrick didn't ask why she told him to approve a specific boy's petition then all of a sudden refuse them all. He never got the one from a boy named Severus Snape in the first place, and that worried him. When he asked if something was wrong, she said she was fine, and he knew that was a lie.

Garrick got Severus' petition for Juliet the very next day she had sent him the one telling him not to accept it. Didn't mean he couldn't read it, right? He read the letter not once, but several times before going back to Juliet's first letter. The one she wrote telling him not to accept anyone else's petition except the one from this boy. There were far too many questions and not enough answers for him about this boy, and he decided he needed more information. So he replied to Severus' petition.

* * *

The Marauders wanted revenge for the public humiliation that they went through, all the trouble it got them in with their parents. They wanted revenge on Juliet but not as much as they wanted it on Severus for the beat down that he gave them before the winter break. Throughout the years they've humiliated him, beat him up and kicked him when he was down, but he just kept getting up. They wanted to hit him where it hurt, which was always Lily. James made short work of whisking her away from him. Not this time. This time they knew exactly how to get to Severus, through Juliet. Two birds with one stone so to speak.

They also knew that she was nearly untouchable because she was the daughter of Garrick Ollivander. He gave them a very clear and firm warning that there wouldn't be a next time or else. Nearly untouchable was the key phrase. As long as they didn't get caught, they could do whatever they wanted to Juliet, and that's what they planned. Since they would never have a chance of anything romantic with her, thanks to Sirius, so they had to resort to other methods. They believed that as long as they used their map and the invisibility cloak with a bit of mischief, then they could deliver the ultimate payback. All they had to do was put their minds together and get to work.

They watched both of them on the map and tailed one or the other throughout the following weeks. James sent a tripping jinx at Severus from behind, and he hit the ground hard. He rolled over onto his back and fought with his robes to take his wand out. An invisible fist hit his nose, and he heard it break. The force if the punch made him hit his head hard on the stone floor under him. His vision went black briefly, and his hands came up to cover his face.

"That'll teach you to fuck with me again!"

He heard the sound of feet retreating, he knew that voice, but there was nothing he could do now. No one would believe him, as usual of course. He would crawl into the hospital wing as usual and say he fell down the stairs. He took a few moments of laying in the hall on his back, bleeding and staring at the ceiling. Telling himself this was precisely what he deserved. He still hasn't been able to speak with Juliet now that she was avoiding him.

"Ollivander went this way!" He heard from down the corridor.

He snapped out of his self-pity and climbed to his feet. His shoes squeaked loudly on the floor as he tried to run as fast as he could to the astronomy tower. He had his wand drawn as he rounded the corner, not expecting to run smack into a solid invisible wall. He had run right into the back of James and Sirius, sending them and their invisibility cloak to the floor.

They all got to their feet with their wands drawn and breathing heavy. Severus couldn't breathe through his broken nose, and he had blood coming out of it running down his chin.

"Leave her alone." He ordered.

"We don't know what you're talking about. We were walking down the hall when you attacked us." Sirius faked innocence.

"Just going up to astronomy for a bit of stargazing," James smirked.

The noise of someone coming down the stairs could be heard from behind the two Gryffindors. James shot Severus a mean smile and lifted his brow, challenging him. Severus didn't wait another second before he shot two spells in quick succession. The other two barely had time to block them and took a hesitant step back.

The corridor leading to the astronomy tower lit up with lights of different colored spells and Severus was holding his own rather well. He saw Juliet come down the stairs behind them and she stopped on the bottom step. She clutched her books tightly to her chest. Sirius looked over his shoulder at her and grabbed the invisibility cloak. He threw it over himself and disappeared right before their eyes.

Severus looked at her and yelled, " **RUN!** "

He managed to take James down with a body bind curse and ran as fast as he could in her direction. Juliet was frozen in place as she watched him rush towards her with his wand raised. A purple curse started to form from a spot in front of her. Severus tackled the invisible mass that was Sirius from behind. The purple light from his wand gave his position away, giving Severus the ability to send his spell away from Juliet and hit one of the suits of armor along the wall.

Severus struggled with Sirius and started punching wildly at the invisible body he was wrestling on the floor. He felt a knee hit him in the gut and he bent over in pain but didn't release his hold on him.

"Get out of here! Go! Run!" He called out to Juliet as he kept Sirius on the ground.

She finally snapped out of it and ran down the other corridor to find help. A few minutes later Filch and Minerva came to see what was happening but saw Severus knocked out alone in the hall. Sirius had gotten in a good left cross on him and knocked him out, then Sirius put the cloak back over himself. He freed James, and both hid under the cloak as they made their escape.

Severus was carried to the hospital wing still unconscious. They revived him and patched him up but kept him overnight for observation. Juliet told the teachers who the culprits were but couldn't explain where they went or how they managed to pull it off. Severus just shrugged and told them he fell as usual. She wanted to thank him for saving her but with his scowl firmly in place and his refusal to look at her. He was still ashamed about how they ended their last conversation and was sure that she wanted nothing to do with him now.

She hated seeing him hurt especially when he had gone out of his way to save her. She wanted to kiss his pain away and tell him how grateful she was but he probably didn't want her around. So she left him alone in the hospital wing and went back to leaving him alone as she had been. Her father never told her that Severus Petitioned for her weeks ago.

* * *

They continued like this for through the rest of the school year. The Marauders had made life extremely difficult for Severus. They took random shots at him, which he didn't mind as much as them trying to hurt Juliet. He did everything within his power to keep her safe, whether she knew it or not. He took the brunt of the spells sent in her direction but at least had the help of his friends. They made sure to keep an eye on Juliet when they could as well and fire back when they would.

There was a struggle for power in Hogwarts between the Slytherins and the Marauders. There was an unspoken rule of no snitching and don't get caught. Cheap shots were obviously allowed since Remus had elbowed Severus in the back of the head when passing him in the library. Regs responded with knocking him into Professor Flitwick on their way to Hogsmeade, sending the tiny man into the mud.

Severus was going up the stairs on his way to ancient runes as Juliet was walking down them. He saw her immediately, but he also saw Peter rush down the stairs behind her quickly. The smaller boy shoved her as hard as he could from behind and ducked into the crowd going towards the east wing. Her eyes got big as she lost her balance and got throw forward, down the stairs towards Severus. Her books and parchment went flying, and Severus moved as quick as he could to help her.

He caught her before she hit the steps and rolled down them. He dropped his bag and books in the process, but it was worth it. He missed the feeling of her in his arms and pressed against him. Her tight hold on his robes sent his stomach into a wild flutter, and his body tingled.

"I got you. I won't drop you." He said into her ear. He helped her gain proper footing on the steps and didn't let her go until she did first.

'I'm sorry I got in your way, but thank you for saving me.' She signed and looked away.

"It's no problem. I like it. I mean- I don't mind- I like helping you." He stammered and bent down to pick up their fallen things.

She helped him pick everything up, and they sorted what things belonged to whom. She bowed her head and made to leave, but he called out to her.

"How is it? Potions, I mean. Are you still needing help?" he asked.

She gave him a sad smile. 'Not as good as I would like to be, but I'll make it.'

He stepped closer to her and took a deep breath; it was now or never. "Can I speak to you? Privately?" There were many eyes and ears about, especially with students still in the halls and he didn't want anyone to be in their business.

She shrugged her shoulders and didn't look up at him. It hurt him to see her like this, knowing it was his own damn fault for it. She had every right to tell him no right now, but this was his chance to make things right.

"Will you meet me in the library? Please? By our old window. I promise I won't take up much of your time." He asked quickly.

She bit her lip and looked up at him. 'What time?'

"During lunch, I'll bring food like old times. Just please, give me a chance to – just meet me there please." He said and rushed off to his next class.


	17. Chapter 17

He was nervous and excited at the same time. This was his chance to make it right and explain everything to her. He skipped the class he had next and went straight to the kitchens. He wanted them to make the pasta they learned from Juliet. He wanted to make absolutely sure everything was perfect. His hands were shaking and his motions were stiff, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't panicking.

Most of his nerves were in in fear and anticipation of her rejection, the rest of it was touch starvation. Before he caught her that morning, he hadn't touched her since their tutor disaster and before that it was his birthday. He was always consumed by thoughts of her gentle touch and warm caress especially at night. When he would wrap his hand tightly around his arousal and lick his lips as he pumped away thinking of her sweet taste.

He half thought that perhaps he shouldn't give her the option to say no.  _Just take her. Take what's yours._  The whispers in the back of his mind were his demons calling in the darkness. He set up everything at the small table with time to spare so he pulled out a copy of the letter he wrote her father. He practiced reading it over and over out loud in private so he could have a shot at redemption for last time.

"Hey, you…." A familiar voice said from behind him.

He jumped and quickly pocketed the letter before turning to see Lily walking towards him. He didn't respond; he just moved closer to the table for her to pass and keep walking.

"I've been looking for you, Sev." She said sweetly.

That voice used to turn him into a blundering mess, but he felt nothing now. He scowled and crossed his arms. "I have no wish to see you."

She stopped very close to him and touched his bicep. "Oh Sev, you're so funny!" She giggled.

"Don't call me that,  _Evans_." He snapped and shrugged her off. Her slight touches used to make him give in to all of her wishes but he found it cold and unwanted. The craving he had to be touched wasn't being fulfilled. This wasn't Juliet's warm comfort that set his skin on fire. She had no power over him anymore.

"I need help with my Defense essay and I know you would love to help me." She said and put her hands on his chest. "You know… like you used to. Just you and me…"

Her face was tilted up and leaning in towards him. A year ago and he would have thought this was what he wanted. To be the center of her attention and have her want him as much as he wanted her. Except he didn't want her anymore and he wasn't sure if he ever did to begin with. She wasn't Juliet.

"My daddy has been waiting for your petition for me. So he can approve it, and we can be together." She giggled.

Petition for her? She was out of her mind! He would never petition for a Lady that wasn't Juliet. She wasn't even considered a Lady because if her Muggle-born status. That's when it all made sense, she was trying to use him to gain stature. Not today Satan, not today.

"You know what you are Evans?" he said softly and leaned in.

"What am I?" she licked her lips.

" _The Devil in the form of a whore_." He whispered and smirked when he saw the shocked look on her face.

Before she could respond her head was jerked back as if she were suddenly struck in the face. She was pulled backwards and nearly took him with her until she lost grip of his robes. Juliet had snatched her by the hair and pulled her off of him, then shoved her into the large window. Her face smacking against the thick glass, leaving a huge smudged impression of her cheek.

He would have laughed and pointed at the sight of Lily getting tossed like a ragdoll but he didn't get the chance too. Juliet took two steps up to him and reeled back so fast he didn't have time to react. She slapped him across the face so hard that his head shot to the right and his hair swung around a second after. He felt the sharp sting right after the split second of numbness and he had to take a half step back. The whole left side of his face felt enflamed and swollen, he had the perfect red print of her small hand across his cheek and part of his jaw. He couldn't feel his tongue, he was pretty sure he bit it off because he could taste copper.

He was stunned stupid and slowly turned to look at the little raging Ravenclaw. Her slap was so loud that it echoed throughout the library. He swore her silver eyes were burning brightly as they stared him down, he saw tears well up under them and her bottom lip quiver. NO.

'You brought me here to watch you kiss other girls? I will not be made a fool of again!' she signed and shoved him away from her. She spun around and stormed off quickly.

"No! That's not what happened- my Angel, wait!" he called out to her. He watched her walk away from him, one hand wiping her tears and the other she was shaking out the pain from hitting him. He didn't even get a chance, and he already fucked up, how the hell was that possible?! He planned to confess his sins and have his angel forgive him; now it was all gone.

"Tsk. Not a proper  _Lady_ at all is she?" Lily said sarcastically with a small smirk playing on her lips.

He rounded on her and felt his fist clench at his side. " **You are nothing compared to her.** " His magic flared out and shoved her against the window again as he walked away from her.

He went the same direction as Juliet and clenched his hands and released them. Everything went to shit because of Lily and he ruined is last and only chance at making this right with Juliet. He was livid, she didn't even give him a change to explain after everything he went through to make it perfect. He had come too far, suffered for too long because he wasn't man enough to face this head on.

* * *

No. No. No. This wasn't right, it wasn't fair at all. He watched that oaf Lockhart touch her all the time and he let her explain the truth to him. Thoughts of her touching someone other than him made his magic flare out again, the books flew of the shelf he just passed. She needed to understand, if she refused them he would make her listen.  _Take what's yours._  The dark voice in his mind was getting louder now.

He started to run in the direction he thought she went and saw the large doors leading outside close. It had to be her leaving, who in the universe ever stormed UP a shit ton of stairs? He slid to a stop as he reached for the handle and pulled it open quickly. He saw her round the corner after the steps under the covered walkway, heading towards one of the battlements on the cliff side of the castle.

He chased her, she wasn't technically running away from him but he caught up to her quickly. He grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around to face him. She nearly lost her balance but he made sure she didn't fall by pushing her against the outside wall of the castle. He had his hands flat on the stone wall supporting his weight and trapping her on both sides.

"Listen to me, goddamn it! What you saw wasn't what you think!" he growled.

She shook her head, tears flowing freely now as she put her hands up to his chest and tried to push him away. He felt a massive wave of guilt hit his chest when he saw her face, but it didn't stop him.

"I don't want anything to do with her! She planned- she fucking- argh!" he slammed his fist on the stone next to her head. "She was trying to flirt her way into making me do her homework and convince me to petition for her to gain status."

'Go petition for her then! It looked like it was working pretty well for her!' she signed then started to beat his chest with her fists.

He shoved her hands away and pressed his body against hers, pinning her to the wall. He was cheek to cheek with her and he felt her body stop struggling but she didn't acknowledge him. He leaned closer into her ear and growled. "Her cheap wonton tricks hold no candle to you. I am sorry you had to see that, but I was in the middle of telling her to leave me the hell alone."

Juliet looked up at him defiantly. "With your lips right?"

Severus crushed his lips to hers, he would show her what it looked like to be kissed by him. His teeth nipped at her bottom lip and he took advantage of her mouth opening in reflex. He wanted to tear her apart and put her back together over and over again until part of him stuck with her. He wanted to hurt her, take her pain away, mark her as his and make sure she never doubted him again.

He pulled back and left her gasping for air. "I didn't kiss her. I will  **never** kiss her or touch her.I wanted to petitioned for you, because you are the only one I want, the only one I need. I asked you to meet me so I could read you the letter I sent and the letter your father sent back."

'Why wait this long? Did your other petitions get denied, so you settled-' she was still crying, but her lips were puffy now from his intense kisses.

"Because I'm a fucking nobody, alright?!" he was yelling at her now. "I'm nothing from nowhere, and you are heaven on earth! I don't deserve you one goddamn bit. You're perfect… so fucking perfect and I am nothing."

She didn't respond to him but she didn't push him away again. He took her silence as an opportunity. ** _"Confiteor Deo omnipotenti et vobis, fratres: quia peccávi nimis. In verba mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa quod ego feci, et quid hoc facere. Mea culpa. Quia peccavi. Domine, miserere mei sunt."_** His voice was rumbling in her ear and caused her to shiver. He was begging for forgiveness as he confessed his sins to her. ' _I confess to the almighty God and to you, that I have sinned. In my thoughts and in my words, for what I have done and what I have failed to do. Through my fault. I have sinned. Lord, have mercy on me.'_

Her brows were knitted together, and the tears stopped, but her eyes were still red and fiercer than ever. 'And what changed your mind? What is it exactly that you are confessing?'

He brought a hand up and softly ran the back of his fingers to wipe the tears from her cheek. "The thought of another nobody touching you. How do you not know how perfect you are? I am confessing my sins of neglect towards you. For pulling away from you when I wanted to be so close to you. I confess that I wasn't man enough to petition for you until the fear of losing you got too real."

"Read me your letter." She whispered. It wasn't a question; it was an order. He was the demon confessing his sins and she the angel judging his soul.

He didn't need to pull it out of his pocket, he knew it word for word. "To Garrick of House Ollivander, I write to you seeking forgiveness. I did not petition for your daughter like many others have because I don't I deserve her. It's not a belief or thought of whether or not I do; it's a fact. I  _know_  I don't deserve her. I have nothing to bring to the table of worth to you or her."

She rested her forehead on his shoulder and grabbed a fistful of his robes and pulled her closer to him. He let her pull him in, seeking comfort in the warmth of her body pressed to his. She sighed softly when she felt his warm breath on her ear.

"My family has no land or coin to offer in trade or gift, and I own nothing but the clothes on my back and heart on my sleeve. I would gladly give both over without hesitation if it made her happy." He kept that part of the original letter; he remembered it making her swoon last time.

She wrapped her arms around his thin waist and placed her palms flat against his back and dug her fingers in firmly.

"I am no one, and she is the air I breathe because without her I am empty with no will to live. I seek forgiveness because I have no title or gold to show her how much she means to me. All I am and all I ever will be is a man who would sell his soul just to see her smile." He heard her sniffle as she buried her face into his neck.

"This is not a petition for your daughters hand or your blessing to court her. I write this letter to tell you that she is worth so much more than I have to offer. I would have been honored to court your daughter but failed to see my self worth before it was too late. Like Icarus, I flew too close to the sun only to be burned by its radiant heat. My deepest apologies if I have insulted you or your daughter. Signed Severus Tobias Snape of House Prince."

Before he finished saying his last name she stood in her toes to kiss him. Her arms tightened around him and he leaned into her, burying his fingers in her hair and tilting her face to him. When she pulled away from him her breathing was labored. She pulled one arm up and touched his cheek lightly where she had slapped him. He no longer cared about the throbbing swell on the side of his face.

"Your father replied to my letter. He set up a meeting to speak with me at the end of the week." He let his eyes close briefly as he leaned into her touch. "I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm not ashamed of being with you. I would kill to have a Lady like you on my arm and by my side."

Another tear slid down her cheek, and he caught it on the tip of his finger and held it out for her to see. "My blackened soul isn't worth the tears in those angelic eyes."

'What will happen with my Papa? What if… he doesn't approve of you?'

"There is nothing to approve, I'd didn't petition for you. It was a letter of apology for my behavior. Until he accepts my apology I cannot petition for you." He explained and pushed her bangs away from her face. "I want you, don't think for one second that I don't. I've wanted you since that day in the alley."

'I want to be with you. I want to be yours. What if he never approves of you.' She mouthed the words as she signed.

What she was trying to say is if her father picked someone else. What if she started dating someone else? Would she make them food too? Kiss them, hug them, whisper their name? NO. He couldn't and wouldn't let that happen! This girl was his, and no one else could have her. Ever.

" **You are mine.** Do you understand? No one else can ever have you because you belong to me." He said suddenly as he cupped her cheeks. Her eyes dilated when he said that she was his. Her lips parted slightly and the tip of her tongue peeked out to wet them.

"Your girlfriend?" she breathed. Small puffs of her warm breath hit his wet lips.

"Whatever you need to call it for everyone to understand, but you are mine. No one else can touch you again. They can never be near you like I can. " His voice was deep and rough, nearly growling the words against her lips as one of his hands found it's way around her neck. His grip tightened slightly, not to inhibit her breath but to show her the point he was making.

"Why?" her eyes were alive with the fire he had seen in the library.

 _WHY?!_  Why the hell not? What was it that she wasn't understanding? He wanted her and God forbid he wouldn't have her. With his left hand still around her throat, his right hand came up and he pointed to her face. "That- right there. The light in the your eyes, the spark of you staring right through me. I want that fire that you have in you, dancing and tempting me with it's flame."

She pushed against the hand round her neck, cutting off her airway and she kissed him. She brought one of her legs up against the stone wall, and he stepped around it, putting his right hand on her thigh, bringing it higher to wrap around him.

"My angel... I've prayed to you every night." He said in between kisses.

"I have prayed  _for_  my demon, for you every night." She whispered back and tugged on his bottom lip.

This was the closest they'd ever been to one another. Such an intimate embrace that gave him goosebumps, she was pressed against him so tight he could swear he felt her heartbeat in his own chest. Then she arched herself closer to him, her breasts pressing against his chest, forcing them upwards and giving him the perfect view of the valley of carnal flesh. He could see right down her shirt because the buttons across her chest were barely struggling to hold together. He groaned and bit his cheek to try and keep his rapidly growing erection at bay.

It was pain and pleasure all at once. Since his second year he began tucking his cock upward into the waist of his boxers and pants. You get hit in the groin as much as he did in a three month period and not do the same! The Marauders had made a fun game called "hit Snape in the dick as many times as you can." Everyone was a winner but him, and now his erection was painfully trapped in his waist band and getting crushed by his belt. It didn't seem to mind as much as he did, there was a girl pressed against him!

Her mouth found his, and her tongue peeked between his lips. His hands squeezed her thigh and neck… he was far past gone now. The feeling of her whole body wrapped around him, her mouth on his and his name whispered along with thanks for everything he'd done. He returned her kisses with a matched passion because he wouldn't be a Slytherin if he didn't take some advantage of the situation.

She trapped his bottom lip between her teeth, biting down gently and tugging. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he felt the biggest orgasm he'd ever had in his short pubescent life. He tried to fight it, he truly did but it was an overload to all his senses and he exploded. He grunted as he felt the hot stickiness pool around the waist of his pants and prayed to whatever God she worshipped that she didn't feel it too.

Luckily she didn't know his messy troubles or super sensitivity to her touch. She buried her face in his neck and breathed in his scent. Cloves and sage with a hint of musk. She kissed his skin right above his collar and trailed slowly up towards his ear. Her kisses were open-mouthed and wet while her tongue licked a few spots.

He tilted his head back and hummed softly in approval. To hell with it all, he was going to enjoy this! He slipped one hand up her skirt and slid his hand up the smooth skin of her thigh. He bit his lip and grunted as his hand travelled further up to the edge of her soft cotton knickers. Her lips reached his ear and he felt her hot breath, her teeth tugged on his ear lobe and he came undone again. How can this little dark haired girl break him so many times in such a short amount of time?! He was an absolute mess in his pants and thanked all the deities that his robes covered it all.

The sound of the dinner bell could be heard traveling across the grounds. Had they really skipped lunch and two classes while being out here? Bugger it all, it was worth it. They rested their foreheads together while they tried to catch their breath.

"I don't care about stupid petitions or blood status. I just want you." She breathed. He could see the truth in her eyes.

"I want to do right by you. I may be a Slytherin who will do whatever he can to get what he wants, but I will do this right and proper. I don't want anyone having any reason to try and keep us apart." He said and ran the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip.

"But what if-"

" _Then I will take you anyway._ " He meant it in a threatening way but she seemed to just fall apart in his hands. "I will have you, no matter what. As long as you will have me. I will take you far away from here where no one can find us."

"Promise?"

"I guarantee it." His eyes were dark with such intensity it made her shiver.

Students coming from the greenhouses were getting closer. He kissed her thoroughly before stepping back from her, ensuring his robes covered his front well enough to hide his want for her.

'So we go back to hiding this.' She signed sadly.

"What do you think would happen if word got to your father that I went over his head? That I broke all protocol and disregarded him completely." He said and curled his lip at the thought.

Her mouth formed a small 'oh' in the realization that he was right. She nodded and looked down at her feet, 'Then what is your plan?'

He took a deep breath and straightened himself to stand as his headmaster showed him. "I have issued a formal apology, if forgiven I will then petition for you as I should have before."

She scowled at him but stopped herself from stomping like a child having a tantrum. 'You say one thing then mean another! You say you want me and no one else can have me- then distance yourself when people are near! I will not be your dirty little secret, Demon!'

There was that raging fire he wanted to hold tightly on to. She called him as Demon, it was in anger but rightly so. He found it as a term of endearment and would embrace it fully. She stormed off into the castle after she cursed his name and he didn't stop her this time. He could let her leave him this time because he knew it was no longer in sadness or hatred. She was annoyed with him but it didn't stop her from looking over her shoulder at him twice as she walked away. The pink blush and swollen lips puckered slightly on her face was all he needed to affirm that she still wanted him.

"You are not dirty, little- yes, but it is no secret that I want you." He said softly, knowing full well she would no longer hear him. He waved his wand three times at his clothes and cleaned them well enough to hide his mishap. He would typically run and hide in the dungeons after a situation like this. Let's face it; he's never been in a situation like this before.

He sat across from her, he at the Slytherin table and she at the Ravenclaw one. He kept his head held high and hair away from his face. He ate silently while never taking his eyes off of her. Everyone questioning the bright red hand print on his cheek he proudly wore. He was sending her a message that he was done hiding.


	18. Chapter 18

"Keep your head up, shoulders square and back straight." Lucius was giving Severus instructions on how to be formal with a pureblood head of house.

"Like this?" he asked and stood as told.

"Less stick up your arse, more militant." Yaxley said and snorted because he was laughing to hard.

Severus whipped his wand out and sent a stinging hex to his leg. "Not helping."

Regs was laying across Severus' bed with his legs crossed and his arms folded behind his head. "So what exactly happened when you talked to her?"

He winced a bit before finally telling them the story. "Fuck where do I start?"

"How you got that big ass handprint on your face would be my guess." Mulciber held his own hand up to his face for reference.

He rubbed his own cheek at the memory. "Still hurts…"

"You're avoiding the question. Spill it, brother." Regs said and sat up.

He didn't want to tell them. They would just make fun of him like they usually did and never let him live it down. They looked at him expectantly.

"I am way too invested in your love life drama at this point for you to leave me hanging." Rowle complained. The rest of them agreed and started yelling at him too.

"Fiiiiine. I asked her to meet me in the Library to talk it over. I waited for her and Evans came to try and kiss me-" he was cut off by Nott who started to yell.

"Time out- WHAT- WHY?" Nott jumped up and tried to shake the answers out of him.

"Let me go!" He slapped his hands away. "She tried to get me to do her Defense essay and petition for her."

Lucius fell to his knees trying to catch his breath. Severus didn't know if he was laughing or crying until he spoke. "She- she heeeeheeeee!" he started to gasp for air. "She… thinks… she's… I can't breathe!"

"The mudblood is tryin' to use you as a stepping stone!" Avery yelled angrily.

"She thinks she can play with the purebloods- by using a half blood! I'm gonna piss myself!" Lucius finally managed to say. His face was red and he was holding his belly.

"Gee… thanks." He said sarcastically. "Can I finish? Thank you. She tried to put her hands on me and kiss me. Then with my luck, Juliet came around and saw her."

"She knows that you pushed Evans away right?" Yaxley was sitting on the bed by him with wide eyes. He loved drama and excitement.

"Well…" he grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck.

"You fucking kissed the mudblood." Rowle spat.

"No! It just looked bad! I was in the middle of calling Evans a whore when Juliet pulled her hair." He used Lucius' long hair as example for the sake of his story. He yelped and clutched his head.

"Bloody hell. This arsehole had two broads fightin' for him and I can't swing one." Yaxley cursed and flipped him off. "What happened next?" It didn't stop his need to know the juicy details.

"She threw her against the window and slapped me. Said she didn't want to see me kissing other girls and didn't want anything to do with me." He looked down at his feet with a guilty look.

"She must have had a mean right hand. I can still kinda see the outline." Mulciber squinted as he stared at the side of his face and tilted his head.

"She literally slapped the taste out of my mouth." Severus said proudly and rubbed his cheek again at the memory. A lopsided grin playing on his face.

"So that's it? You fucked up for good then." Regs said and flopped back on the bed.

"Nope. I chased her down and talked it out with her. Then we did some other things…" he blushed as a small smile played on the corner of his mouth. "But I'm not sharing those details. I told her I meet with her father and we will go from there."

"You must be a cat or something with all these nine lives of yours." Yaxley mused and went back to helping him prepare to meet Garrick.

* * *

Severus was nervously pacing back and forth in the Headmaster's office as he waited for Garrick Ollivander to arrive. Albus allowed them to use his office for their meeting and went off to handle other matters. This was customary for students who petitioned for another student, during their 'of age' years, to meet the head of house representative for their intended interest.

He kept wiping his hands on his robes, trying to wipe away the sweat from his palms. He went through the mental checklist of the protocol he was supposed to follow. This was it, playing in the world cup now, that was how Lucius had put it. It wasn't uncommon for a half blood to petition for a pureblood. What was never heard of was a half blood petitioning for a pureblood of the  _sacred 28_ AND getting a "hearing." Let's not even speak of a half blood getting APPROVED for a sacred 28 heir!

Lucius and Nott told him that if his petitioned got accepted and he got fair rights to court the "unicorn princess"(as the Marauders started calling her) then they would kiss each other. He hoped he would come out victorious so he could tell them to pucker up. He just needed to keep his calm and for Merlin's sake don't stutter!

The floo came alive with a familiar emerald glow and Garrick stepped through wearing black robes. Severus turned to greet him with a small bow. They both met halfway with extended hands, Garrick's boots making loud thuds against the wooden floor. He may be a short man, but he was sturdy and how he held himself showed that.

"Lord Ollivander, pleasure to meet you." He greeted and bowed again as he shook his hand firmly.

"Mister Snape…." Garrick paused the handshake but didn't release his hand, his eyes narrowed. "Or shall I call you Lord Prince?"

Severus dared not break the handshake or eye contact. "Severus if you prefer."

Garrick released his hand and started to walk around the room. Severus stayed in his spot in the middle of room. He may have been there first but this was Garrick's room for the time being. He may have given Garrick the freedom to use his first name but he dared not do the same unless given permission.

"Severus… a good Roman name. I'm happy to see that Eileen kept with her House traditions in spite of her marrying a muggle." He mused and kept looking around the room casually.

"Yes Sir." Was his only response. He kept his hands clasped behind his back and his shoulders square.

"Ease up, boy. I hold no prejudice of blood status. I've done my research on you, so telling me your life story will be a waste of time." Garrick said bluntly and turned to face him.

"Of course Sir." He would speak when spoken to and hold his head up high. He may not be a pureblood but he still had to be proud of his name. Especially if he wanted to have his daughter take it in the future. Was it getting hot in here?

"I know everything I need to about you, but I want to hear it from you. Tell me…  _Severus_ …" Garrick circled him like a beast waiting for the kill. "Why my daughter?"

It was the simplest question yet the one he least expected. He prepared for everything but this. He kept his face blank, as he tried to gather his thoughts. Garrick was patient, keeping his eyes on him while he waited.

"That is a difficult question to answer sir, can you be more specific?" Severus asked, making sure his voice didn't waver.

Garrick chuckled and continued to circle him. "Is it really? Explain. Go ahead, speak freely."

Severus took a deep breath while he organized his thoughts quickly. "It could mean a number of things, Sir. Why am I drawn to your daughter? Why can't I get her out of my head? Why do I want to be a better person when I'm around her?"

Garrick stopped in front of him and leaned in closely, Garrick only being a few inches taller than Severus. Their noses nearly touching. "And the answer to all of those questions? Speak freely and don't lie to me, boy."

He was certain he couldn't blink as he stared into familiar silver colored eyes. They might have been similar in color but nothing alike. "She's seen me at my worst, at the apex before my fall, and not once has she turned her back on me. She looks upon me without judgement. Each time I have fallen she has been there to pick me up and keep me going. I've shown her no reason to care about me, let alone  _like_  me yet she does so without asking anything in return. Though I would… give her anything she asked for I mean."

Garrick didn't move for several moments before his face turned into a scowl. "Humph." Was the only noise he made before drawing away and turning his back. He took three heavy steps towards the fire and paused.

He placed his hands behind his back and looked in deep thought to the fire. Severus tried to figure out what he did wrong. Had he said too much? Was that the wrong answer?

"Have I offended you sir?" he asked carefully.

"Quite the opposite." Garrick grunted and still didn't turn around.

"Yet my answers were not what you expected?" he made sure he didn't move from his spot, he knew the older man had eyes on the back of his head. "Sir." He added quickly.

"Your answers are what I expected. I got that much from your letter… it's the fact that you aren't lying." He said with an almost bitter tone.

"I would never lie to you, Sir." Severus assured him.

Garrick chuckled darkly and turned back to face him. "Of course you won't. You'll try, but you will never be able to." He started to circle him again as he assessed him.

"I don't understand-"

"I'm a master Legilimens, boy. I've been in your mind this whole time without you knowing. I can see your every thought like an open book." he snarled and prodded him with the tip of his wand in the ribs.

Severus didn't see him draw his wand, he kept a stoic face but inside a red flag went up. He didn't dare respond to that statement. He was being assessed, scored, evaluated like an item for purchase or livestock.

"I applaud you, Severus. Your reasons are far greater than the other petitions I've received. ' _She's good for me.'_ And ' _I deserve her.'"_ Garrick mocked in a sarcastic tone as he kept circling.

He poked him a few more times in random areas trying to get a reaction from him but Severus didn't move. "14 ¾ inches… olive wood… dragon heartstring… same wood… same cores..." he was speaking to himself under his breath.

He stood a step back and faced him full on. "House Ollivander accepts your apologies in regards to Lady Juliet."

"Thank you, Lord Ollivander." Severus bowed at the waist. "I will not make the mistake again."

"Now to get to why we're really here… you want to petition for my daughter." He said.

"That wasn't my intention of this meeting-" Severus tried to say, he didn't want to overstep all in one meeting.

"Isn't it? Why go through the formalities? I know you want to court her and I'd rather not have to come back here." Garrick looked around the room in distaste.

"If that is what you'd prefer. Lord Ollivander, I Severus of House Prince would be honored to court your daughter, with your permission." He said it formally, bold and bowed as he practiced many times.

"Do you believe in God, Mister Snape?" Garrick said suddenly and crossed his arms.

What did that have to do with anything? God? He wanted to date his daughter, not to be taken to church. He snapped out of his annoyed thoughts, remembering that Garrick could read them. The smirk he received was proof enough that he knew what he was thinking, but there was no comment.

"Believe in his existence or follow the faith?" Severus shot back with a raised brow.

"Either, both- doesn't matter. I want your thoughts on the matter." Garrick shrugged.

"My father is a Catholic man, he….  _Enforced_ the belief on my mother and I. So yes, I have practiced the faith. Do I believe in his existence? I didn't… not until I met your daughter." Severus said truthfully.

"She made you pray then?" Garrick laughed.

"She prayed  _for_  me." Severus took a moment to choose his next words very carefully. "I didn't believe his existence until she nearly fell into my lap. With my luck? I had no chance in hell of finding a girl like her, let alone a girl like her looking my way. Some higher power brought her here and crossed our paths."

"Albus Bloody Dumbledore, that's who… higher power my arse..." Garrick cursed under his breath and rolled his eyes.

"Sir?"

"Convince me. I will grant you permission if you can tell me in  **one sentence**. Why should I let you court my daughter?" Garrick held up one finger at him then tilted it, pointing the same finger towards him as his queue to go.

Well shit. Severus could feel the sweat on the back of his neck trailing down to his back. His heart was racing, if he fucked this up then he would never be able to be with her properly. Why should he allow him to court her? Because no one else deserved her either! Because he would go mad at the sight of someone else making her smile! Because she was his angel and he was her demon!

"When I look in her eyes I see the meaning of life."

It was quiet. Neither spoke for some time while he assessed the words spoken. He didn't take his eyes off of Severus the whole time.

"Very well."

"Whaaat?" Severus said is disbelief, breaking his proper manners. His pitch was higher than normal. "Sorry." He said immediately after, catching himself and clearing his throat.

"I approve. You may court my daughter." Garrick said and the weight in the room seemed to have lifted. He stepped forward and held his hand out for him to shake.

When their hands met Garrick squeezed his hand tightly and pulled him nearly nose to nose. "As long as she accepts you."

He nodded immediately and didn't dare break contact. "Of course, Sir."

"If she does not accept you…"

"I understand-"

" **No means no.**   **If I find out you have hurt her in any way I will end you.** " Garrick promised.

"Yes sir."

He released him from his death grip and straightened his robes, sweeping off nonexistent dust from his persons. "Sign here." Garrick waved his hand towards Albus' desk.

An official scroll appeared out of thin air and unrolled itself. A quill floated in front of Severus that he didn't see appear, he grabbed it and walked to the desk to sign.

He saw his name and went to sign it, he paused when he saw the space below for two more signatures and names.

_Eileen Snape nee Prince_

_Tobias Snape_

The room just closed in on him suddenly and he heard the dramatic drums in his head.  _ **DUN DUN DUN**_ _._  It was really his heartbeat but it was all the same. He needed the signature of his parents? His mother was one thing but  _his father?!_  He turned around quickly, "Sir- my parents?"

Garrick saw the fear in his mind; images of his father in none too pleasant situations played across the forefront of his mind. "Both Head of Houses have to sign for their heirs myself as Head of Ollivander and…  _ **Lord Snape**_ has to sign." He couldn't give the boy anymore of a hint.

Snape. Snape? Snape! (A/N: Say this part out loud and try not to giggle.) What if he wasn't a Snape? He could sign under Prince and bypass his father altogether. Right? Garrick could see the clogs and wheels turning in his mind.

"If I were to sign-"

"Of course  _ **Lord Prince**_ , apologies. I shall correct it at once." Garrick jumped in suddenly. He couldn't have the portraits know of any foul play. Part of the reason they had to have this in Albus' office was because of them. It needed to be in front of a witness, who better than portraits?

He waved his hand again and a new scroll appeared, the old contract burned itself by flying to the fireplace. Severus looked down again and saw the new names.

_Severus Tobias Prince_

_Eileen Prince_

He signed his name as neat as he could, his nerves had the quill shaking. He may have saved Garrick from his father but it didn't mean it saved his mother. Garrick saw the worry, he didn't need to read his mind for that.

"I will take care of the rest. I will send for your mother to meet me. Until then, you are approved on pending status." Garrick looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling for a few moments before adding. "And if she approves you too. On pending status- you know what I mean."

"Thank you, Sir. But my mother, she isn't-"

"I know about your muggle father and your mother's self exile from the Wizarding world. I will handle it. Carefully." He assured him.

Severus was being led by the shoulder to the fireplace. He couldn't have his father ruin this or hurt his mother. "I don't want anything! Coin- status- none of it! I swear sir!" He stammered. So much for keeping his cool.

"Yes, you stated as such in your previous letter." Garrick said while grabbing the floo powder to leave.

"My father… I'm not him."

"I know, Lord Prince." Garrick said and reached to shake his hand once more. He shook his hand firmly then bowed his head slightly before taking his leave through the floo.

Severus stood alone in the office replaying everything that just happened. "He approved me!" He yelled and threw a fist in the air triumphantly.

The paintings looked at him with bored expressions. He put his hand down and mumbled an apology as he exited through the door.


	19. Chapter 19

He felt like he could conquer the world with all that he had accomplished. Nothing could bring him down from the cloud he was living in. School would be over in a just a few short weeks and he got the girl. Well, once all the formalities were taken care of that is. His friends were completely impressed with the fact that THE Garrick Ollivander approved the petition of a half blood nobody. He tried to get offended but found he simply couldn't.

Severus made damn sure to follow protocol from here on out until the petition was official. He also made damn sure that everyone knew she was promised to him. The next time he saw Juliet he walked right up to her and formally bowed while kissing her hand. They were in the middle of the courtyard on their way to Herbology.

"Lady Juliet, I count the hours until my petition is finalized. May I escort you to class?" he asked cordially.

She blushed brightly and nodded in acceptance of his offer. He tucked her arm snuggly in his, took her backpack from her and led her across the school grounds. Everyone whispered and watched as they walked pass. He held his head high and proud, keeping his bundling nerves in check. He hoped to impress her of course, to make sure that she knew he was serious. She was swooning hard when he opened the door and helped her get into a lab coat.

Of course he was her lab partner as well, taking Albus' advice and "owning it." She was openly touching him, setting his skin on fire with her small caresses. The fact that he could openly touch her now was one of the best feelings in the world. It was going great until class ended and he started to escort her out of the greenhouse. She was on his arm again and this time leaning her head on his shoulder as he carried both of their bags. He was looking down at her and smiling, genuinely happy for the first time since his birthday.

_Thwap!_

A huge ball of mud hit the side of his head, getting into his hair, covered most of his face and the front of his robes. Everyone gasped in shock then started to laugh and point at him. Juliet had looked at him with a shocked expression then looked around for the culprit. As the Ravenclaw/Slytherin class let out the Hufflepuff/Gryffindor class was coming in. The Marauders stood there by one of the out door planters laughing and pointing at him.

"Oh  _sorry_  Snivellus, didn't see you there. You know, all dirt looks the same." James called out and tossed another ball of mud around in his hand as he spoke.

The Slytherin boys snapped into action and stood either at Severus' side or behind him, wands drawn and ready for action. Juliet's friends gasped and stood silently by, waiting to see what would happen. Severus wiped his face with the back of his sleeve to clear his eyes. Juliet pulled out her wand and cleaned him with a few flicks of her wand. The mud may have vanished but his self-consciousness returned instantly. He couldn't believe Juliet saw them get one up on him and in front of everyone! He was supposed to be proper, a perfect specimen of a proper gentleman for her.

" _Mind your company."_ Lucius hissed in his ear quietly. He was talking about Juliet, he shouldn't be seen getting into scuffles in front of the Lady.

Severus sent a venomous glare at them and flexed his wand hand into a fist a few times. "I apologize, a Lady shouldn't have to see that." He told her in a strained voice, he kept his eyes on the boys with mud.

"Lady? She ain't no Lady at all! Messin' around with the likes of you." Remus busted out laughing and pointing. He knew that was the thing that Severus hated the most.

"She must like the snakes. Been hanging out with all those Slytherins. Dumped Lockhart for Snivellus didn't she?" Peter snickered.

His blood was boiling and he was nearly shaking in rage. Juliet put her hand on his chest and snapped him out of the violent images filling his head. He looked down at her and saw her begging him with her eyes. She didn't like confrontation, he knew that and needed to get her out of here as soon as possible.

"Yeah, why don't you come on over here, Ollivander? Let me show you a real snake? My trouser snake!" Sirius grabbed himself through his pants and beckoned her with his other hand while making kissing faces at her. Some of the other Gryffindor boys joined in and started cat calling her.

Severus dropped her arm and made to beat his face in. Lucius and Avery put a hand on each of his shoulders and stopped him. He had to defend her honor, to hell with being proper! Juliet stepped around Severus and walked towards the boys in red and gold. Severus's jaw dropped, was she really casting him aside for the jackass who tormented him all these years?!

Sirius seemed just as surprised and started to walk towards her. He had a lopsided smirk on his face and he loosened his tie. She crooked her finger at him to lean in closer as they stood toe to toe. He ran a hand through his hair and blushed slightly. Severus looked on with worried eyes, how could he lose another girl to those imbeciles?

_Thwap!_

Juliet had hidden her fist full of mud at her side as she lured Sirius closer. She smacked it hard against the side of his face and made sure to rub it into his hair and wiped her hand on the front of his robes. He was stunned! He stood there as the cold wetness covered him and couldn't believe that she had just done that. Severus and his friends howled with laughter at the sight of the much taller boy getting knocked down a few pegs by the little Ravenclaw. Juliet cleaned the mud from her hand with a quick wave of her wand as she went back to the Slytherins.

She walked right up to Severus and put her hand to his chest. With her wand the black ribbon wrote over her head, 'KICK THEIR ARSES'

Severus was certain she was truly meant for him at this moment. He cocked his head to the side and grinned deviously. "Anything the Lady wishes."

He sidestepped her and his friends followed. She joined up with her friends who watched from a bit of a distance, all huddled together and whispering about what was going to happen.

"Those Gryffin-dorks are gonna get their arses kicked!" Dani whispered excitedly.

"'Ciber is gonna knock Lupin's block off!" Mack made a fist and shook it with a sly grin.

"I hope no one gets hurt." Sophie said.

The other girls looked at her sideways, that was completely un-Sophie like.

"I hope they get murdered!" she smiled then yelled out. "Kick his ass Marcus!"

It started off with Severus sending a silencing charm at Sirius who was still trying to pull his wand out of his robes. He was unable to cast spells now that he couldn't speak. The whole area lit up in a marvelous light show, casting shadows on the trees surrounding them from the nearby forest. James flung the ball of mud he had been holding at Rowle who's reflexes were too fast for him. He caught it and flung it right back at him, hitting him square in the face. His glasses dirty and blocking his vision.

Remus took more of a physical approach and tackled Nott to the ground. Both boys were rolling on the ground throwing punches and scratching each other. Peter thought it best to use distance as his greatest ally, he shot spells from behind the safe cover of the planter. Severus and Sirius were now going back and forth with spells, well at least Severus was. He was throwing all the nasty spells he knew and all Sirius could do was block them.

Lucius and Avery took dueling stances against Frank and another Gryffindor boy named Jonah who was tall and gangly looking. Frank bested Lucius after a good parry of spells shot back and forth. For a small boy, Frank was very good at dueling and moving quickly. Avery got surprised when Jonah lunged at him and quickly got him in a headlock.

It quickly turned from a basic duel to an all out brawl. There was mud everywhere and everyone was cursing and yelling at each other. Juliet was biting her lip in worry when she saw Severus' head shoot to the side with a well landed punch from Sirius. He used his long arms to his advantage and smeared mud in his eyes, giving him time to jump up and land a few good punches himself.

No one saw Yaxley creep around the side of the battle and come up behind the Gryffindors. He took out Peter first, hitting him upside the head with the shovel. It made a sickening  _Thonk_  sound and the boy fell to the side and didn't move again. One by one he creeped up on them and  _Thonked_  them on the head with the shovel. Lucius was grateful for it, he was cornered and unable to stop his dancing legs while he sent poorly aimed spells back at Frank.

James abandoned his two on one duel with Rowle and Mulciber and jumped on Severus' back who was punching Sirius deeper into the mud. He had him in a choke hold from behind and the only option Severus had was to go backwards. He grabbed James' legs that were wrapped around him, making sure he wasn't going anywhere. He was much taller than James and knew that this was going to hurt, but not as much as it was going to hurt James.

"What's wrong Snape? Can't breathe?"

"Fuck…. You…. Potter." He managed to swear.

"Can't handle a little bit of chaos?" James growled into his ear and tightened his arm around his neck.

He threw his body straight back and made sure his elbow was rightly placed into James' gut when he landed on him. James released his hold on Severus as all the wind was knocked out of him. His glasses flew off his face and landed somewhere by his head. His vision blurred, he saw Severus' murky form towering over him now.

_Crunch_

Severus stomped his boot on James' glasses. He didn't see Sirius get up and start to rush him from behind. Yaxley was on him immediately, caught up before he was able to reach Severus and clotheslined him with the shovel of pain. He hit the shovel so far his feet came out from under him as he slipped in the mud and his arms flew out to his side. He was knocked out before he hit the mud.

Severus grabbed James by the red and gold tie around his neck and brought him closer to his own face. He was seething with rage, how dare he ruin this day for him! How dare he say those things about his Angel? He reeled back his right fist and hit James' nose with a loud crunch. A mix of blood and mud covering his face and Severus' fist.

" **YOU WANT CHAOS-** **I'LL GIVE YOU WAR"**  He roared at him and hit him again. This time his punch landed in the eye socket of his face and James knocked out, going limp.

He stepped back and was breathing heavy, trying to find another Gryffindor idiot to pummel his fists into. His friends stood around him grinning like idiots, Yaxley held the shovel over his head victoriously and they cheered. Juliet and her friends rushed forward with their wands, cleaning all the bloody mess and mud from them.

Severus met Juliet halfway and didn't expect her to throw her arms around him. He caught her and chuckled as he spun her around. Today was a good day after all. She had cleaned the mess from his clothes and skin with her wand but used her hands to straighten his hair, tie and shirt. He sighed and leaned into the fingers running through his hair.

'Are you hurt?' she signed quickly. Looking for injuries all over him.

"Just my hand." He said and held up his swollen right fist.

She brought it to her lips and kissed it all over after she waved her wand at it and brought the swelling down. He thought she would make a fine medic one day, as long as the only injuries she was kissing were his own. He led her back to the castle with all their friends in tow and got to put his arm around her as they walked into the Great Hall for dinner.

* * *

Severus promised the Marauders war, and he meant to deliver. He and his friends were constantly on guard at all times, especially around "The Girls" as they called Juliet and her friends. Yaxley was introduced to Amelia, who was impressed with his shovel swinging skills from the mud fight outside. He decided that he liked to impress the shy Ravenclaw girl with red hair and wanted to make sure it stayed that way.

The thing with Yaxley is that he was always in the background, always tailing along and never noticed by the Marauders and he used that to his advantage. What he didn't realize is that he was unnoticed because alphabetically he was last on the magical map they used. He was never sought out by the other boys for pranks or fights. He and Mulciber were waiting outside the study hall one day as Remus walked right past them. Alone.

He nudged Mulciber and quickly grabbed the unsuspecting boy by the hood of his robes and dragged him into a secluded corridor. They used him as a punching bag for a few minutes before hanging him up by the back of his underwear on one of the wrought iron scones on the wall. They took his wand and laid it below him at his feet. The reason the corridor was so secluded all the time is because it was one of the ones that Peeves frequented in.

"Peeves! Slytherin house brings you a worthy sacrifice!" Yaxley called down the corridor.

"OOOO! Is it snacks?!" the giggling voice called back. The noise coming from around the corner meant he was coming.

Yaxley and Mulciber gave Remus a mock solute and took off running the other direction. When their friends heard what they had done they laughed and praised them. When they heard that Remus' wand was used against him by Peeves and was turned into a small pig, they laughed even harder. Everyone saw the little pig take off out of the corridor and Filch chase after him as he squealed. Avery laughed so hard he nearly fell down the stairs, Sophie caught him.

The Marauders wanted blood. They used their map, the invisibility cloak and a frightened first year to gain access to the Slytherin common room. From there they made their way to the boy's dormitory and wrecked the entire place. Beds were torn apart, books were thrown around and shredded. They took their time since the map told them that the Slytherins were at the quidditch pitch for most of the day.

What they didn't know was that the other boys were at the quidditch pitch, but in the Gryffindor locker room. Severus brought some itching powder he made quickly in one of the nearby potions labs. They spread it all over their jockstraps and pants. Yaxley and Rowle took it upon them selves to place a triggering shrinking charm on the clothes.

Whenever the boys put on their quidditch uniforms they would automatically shrink three sizes too small. Making uncomfortable as well as hard to take of. Lucius, Avery and Regs took to the brooms. Opening the lockers with a violent alohomora and covering them with grease they picked up from the supply closet that Filch used. Regs was the local broom expert, he knew which broom thistles to clip and which not to clip. Guess which ones he clipped? Lucius was in charge of the glitter. Yes glitter. He stored a glitter bomb that the girls gave him inside the tail end of the broom and places a triggering charm on it.

When the Gryffindors would take flight now only would the brooms be completely off balances and nearly uncontrollable, the ass end of them would explode with a trailing mist of glitter. When all their hard work was done and over with all they had to do was wait for the next match, which was the last one of the season. Winner of this next match would win the Quidditch Cup and Mulciber was going to do everything he could to win, even if it meant cheating. Mack told him she would go out with him if Slytherin won it and he was determined.

The day of the final match was one to remember forever. The Gryffindor boys came out of their locker room fidgeting and scratching at themselves. Severus' had asked Juliet to sit with him in the Slytherin stands as they watched his friends and house play. She wore his Slytherin scarf he gave her over the holiday to keep her cheeks warm from the strong winds in the higher seats. He wrapped an arm protectively around her and enjoyed the feeling of her hand on his thigh.

The whole school saw the boys tugging at their tight itchy clothing. Sirius and James' jerseys were so small it showed their stomach from their belly buttons and down. Sirius seemed to be enjoying it a lot more than the other boys, he showed off his skin and played like it was meant to be the whole time. The match began and they took off on their brooms. Everyone wearing red and gold took off in opposite directions and glitter was falling from the skies. It covered all of the students and the grounds. Slytherin chasers scored quickly since their keeper was trying not to puke on his temperamental broom.

Severus used his wand to conjure a invisible protective barrier to keep the glitter off of him and Juliet. She smiled at him and gave him a knowing look. He smirked and shrugged his shoulders, denying any knowledge of this. Slytherin won the cup 380 points to 0. Everyone stood and cheered as the cup was brought onto the field and his friends who were playing accepted it with huge grins. Mulciber got onto his broom and flew over to them, Mack was sitting a few seats over from Juliet and Severus. He held his hand out to her and she took it. Mack jumped on the back of his broom and he flew off out of the pitch with her, everyone assumes for a snog fest but didn't say it out loud.

* * *

When the boys returned to their common room and saw the mess they knew that there was hell to pay. Severus and Regs tried to clean everything up with their wands but it wasn't working. They must have charmed things in place around the room. He had the perfect idea for payback and needed Juliet's help. The boys snuck over to Ravenclaw tower with their brooms slung over their shoulder. He said the password and quietly crept into the Ravenclaw common room after curfew.

He softly knocked on the 5th year girl's dorm and waited for someone to open the door. The shh'd his friends who were in crammed into the spiral staircase around him. Sophie answered the door in her pajamas and almost screamed. Avery's hand shot out and covered her mouth.

"Shh! We need your help." He said softly to his girlfriend.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" she whispered.

"Let us in, woman! Before we're caught!" Nott hissed from the back.

She stepped aside and called on her friends to wake up. All of the girls were already in bed now sitting up and looking for the cause. She closed the door behind him and crossed her arms over her chest. Severus cast a muffling charm around the room and looked for Juliet. She jumped out of bed and rushed towards him.

He saw the little grey shorts that barely covered anything and the thin strapped very tight fitting shirt she was wearing. Merlin to Circe, this was what she wore to bed?! A heard a sly comment about her muttered under Nott's breath. He spun around and wrapped his hands around his throat, slamming into the closed door.

"Sorry!" he choked.

" **Don't let it happen again.** _"_ Was his only warning before letting him drop.

She put a hand on his shoulder blade and waited for him to turn to her. She checked him over a few times, asking if he was hurt.

"I'm not hurt. I need your help." He said and kissed her palm that was cupping his face.

"We need you ladies to show us how to alter clothing." Lucius said and held up a pair of slacks.

"Really? You should know how-" Dani said sarcastically.

"Just show us.  _Please_." He cut her off and threw the pants at her.

The girls looked at them like they were crazy. Severus was too busy taking in the sight of Juliet wearing next to nothing. His hands flexed into fists over and over as he tried to keep himself from touching her inappropriately. She was pressed against his front, with her arms around his middle hugging him. The petition that he had made for her was still pending, he couldn't do more with her than kiss her hand and wrap his arms around her. But he wanted to do so much more.

"We're getting payback and that's all you need to know. Will you help us?" Yaxley asked Amelia who was blushing madly at him. She nodded and took her wand out and showed him the spell and wand movements.

Juliet grabbed Severus by the hand and pulled her to sit on her bed. He was still stunned at the sight of her, mainly because her pert nipples were very visible with that tight shirt on. His mouth was dry as he looked down at the low cut top, it was like a present wrapped just for him. Damn getting a prank in on the other boys, he wanted to stay here!

She cupped his chin and tilted his head up to look at her instead of her chest. He blushed and rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. "Sorry."

He pulled her hand and kissed it properly. "Lady Juliet."

She shook her head and signed. 'No Lady. Not in here. We can be ourselves in here. You have nothing to prove to me that I don't already know.'

His eyes locked onto her lips and he decided to damn it all to hell. He kissed her, rough and long. He had wanted to kiss her for weeks but had to maintain proper etiquette until the petition was approved completely. He had gotten a letter from Garrick that they would meet with his mother to sign a week after school let out. His mother responded with the same letter, he was nearly home free.

She tangled her hands in his hair and scratched her nails on his scalp. He gasped, nearly moaning at the roughness she never showed before. Her chest was pressed against him. Dare he let his hand brush against it? Cup it? Caress it? Someone cleared their throat behind him.

" **AHEM!** Time to go Snape." Dani said protectively. She scowled at him and shook her head at the thoughts she was sure were running through his head.

His friends were waiting for him by the window on the other side of the room. Brooms in hand and window opened. He stood awkwardly, trying to cover his straining erection with his shirt since he left his robes in his dorm. He thanked the gods above that the lights were still off and it was dark in the room still.

She stood with him and walked him to the window. One by one the Slytherin boys jumped out of the window and flew out a ways to circle and wait for the rest of them. She pulled him down and kissed him again. His hands at her waist, thumbs rubbing against the deliciously exposed flesh.

"I will be dreaming of you, Angel." He told her quietly.

"I will be dreaming of my Demon." She whispered.

He kissed her once more, sucking the air from her lungs and jumped out of the window to follow his friends.


	20. Chapter 20

It wasn't hard to find the right window on Gryffindor tower, it was the one that had The giant Marauders banner draped across the window. Nott went first, prying the window lock with the tip of his wand and slowly climbing in. They each slid in quietly without waking any of them up. He and his friends cast muffling charms on the areas surrounding all the beds, making sure none of them woke up with the noise.

The went through their trunks, hampers, and clothes were strewn across the floor to get the job done. The spell they learned from the girls worked just as it should have. Turning all their uniforms into girls uniforms. Skirts, blouses, leggings, panties. Everything! Severus didn't think it was enough payback at all, he kicked open both James and Sirius' trunks and unzipped his fly.

Severus started pissing on all of their belongings and not stopping there. He let his stream travel up and onto their beds. Regs fought with himself to keep his laughter down to a minimum.

"Circe's tits, Snape! How much piss you got?" Yaxley whispered.

"Drank a lot of pumpkin juice." He grunted and kept pissing on their beds and the boys themselves.

"Shit, these blokes sleep through anything. Come on." Rowle said and jumped out of the window on his broom.

Severus shook himself dry, tucked himself away and grabbed his broom. Well, Lucius' broom really. It was one of his spares, one of many for the spoiled wealthy Malfoy. He was the last one out and looked back at the sleeping face of James Potter. Oh, how he wanted to punch his sleeping face in so bad! Juliet wouldn't like it if he got caught and in trouble. She seemed to be the determining factor of most of his decisions lately, like she was the angel on his shoulder telling him what he should and shouldn't do. Right now she was telling him to walk away.

* * *

"It smells like piss in here." Remus said as he walked back to his dorm from taking a shower.

James and Sirius sat up and looked around. They both sniffed around and made a face. Sirius patted his blanket in a few places and smelled his hand. "What the hell?"

"Padfoot pissed his bed!" James laughed and pointed at him.

They all joined in with the laughter and made jokes. Until James patted his own blanket in a dark spot. "Wait a second- oh my god it's piss!" he threw his covers off and jumped up. Landing his bare feet in one of the piss puddles that Severus left.

"Prongs pissed himself too!" Peter laughed.

"What? No, my pants are dry." James said and patted his pajamas.

Sirius saw the piss puddles on the floor around the bed and saw that their trunks were opened. He made sure he didn't step in any of them and walked to his trunk. "WHO THE FUCK PISSED IN MY TRUNK?!"

They all gathered around and looked in it. Sure enough, the smell was there and obviously pissed in. "Which one of you got drunk and missed the bathroom? Huh? Which one of you sleepwalking idiots?" Sirius snapped and started pointing his finger.

Everyone denied it and looked at their own trunks. "My stuff is dry but look at this," Peter said and held up a skirt.

"Made the change did ya? Knew it was only time, Wormtail. I support you and love you no matter what." Remus said jokingly.

"Oi! I got girl clothes too! Pissed all over girl clothes!" James said and held it up.

Sirius put all the puzzle pieces together and screamed at the top of his lungs. "GODDAMN SLYTHERINS!"

* * *

It was the last day of term, Severus picked up Juliet from Ravenclaw tower and escorted her to breakfast. He and his friends told the girls to wait with them at the top of the stairs and wait for the magic to happen. On the opposite side of the entry hall, the Gryffindor boys awkwardly came down the stairs dressed in girls clothing. Sirius had decided to own it apparently and did his hair in pigtails and tied his shirt at his midriff. James was laughing the whole time watching his best friend act like a girl.

All of the boys they passed started catcalling and whistling as they passed. "Did you have to wear the leggings, Pads?" Remus said as he tried to keep his head down.

"Own the moment, Moony. Own it!" Sirius said and walked as if he was on a catwalk.

Nott had taken his camera out that day and was stationed at the bottom of the stairs. He got the perfect shots of the boy's dresses as girls as they went into the Great Hall for breakfast. Minerva had to do a double take as they walked past her and fumble for the words to yell at them.

'You're a sneaky one, Demon.' Juliet signed to him.

"Whatever do you mean, Angel?" he smirked and held his arm out to escort her to breakfast.

He couldn't wait for the school year to be over but dreaded it at the same time. His life was finally starting to look on the upside of things, but he couldn't wait for the petition to become official. He didn't want to wait for summer to be over before he could see Juliet again. He knew that he and his mother would be meeting Garrick next week but unsure if Juliet would be there as well.

* * *

On the train, he had a good 4 hours of alone time with Juliet. Well, it started out as alone time until their friends came crashing through the door. With the limited space in the cabin, Juliet sat sideways on Severus' lap. As long as they were behind closed doors, even with their friends, they could be close to each other without fear of word getting to her father. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and basked in her touches as much as he could before their time was up.

She was running her fingers through his hair, and he had his head tilted back with his eyes closed. Her head was resting on his shoulder with her face buried in his neck. Nott had taken a few pictures of them and planned to give them to the soon to be official couple when the signing was complete. Severus tried to fight the sleep he was quickly falling under but failed. With her warmth and touch, he was lulled into a deep nap.

He was woken later by the trolley cart coming for their sweets. He had no money to spend on it, but Juliet had purchased some candy for them to share. It bothered him, and he hated it. All of their friends had the coin to spare yet he was the poor kid with second-hand everything. Well, except the watch on his wrist that he got from Juliet for Christmas. His worries were taken away instantly by Juliet hand feeding him some of her licorice wand.

"Will you be there for the signing?" he asked softly in her ear.

Albus was right; his voice did affect her. Much more than he ever thought it would. She gave a small shiver and leaned into him. 'Of course!'

"I don't want to wait that long to see you, but I must." He tucked her hair behind her ear.

'You can always come and see me. Just wait by the back door, and I will meet you there. I have to take out the trash several times a day.' She ran her hands on the front of his grey thermal shirt, flattening its creases unnecessarily.

"I will try. I don't live close to Diagon. I'm in Cokeworth." He said sadly.

'I will look for you every day.' She smiled at him. 'Will you write to me?'

He ran a hand through his hair awkwardly. How was he supposed to tell her not to write to him when he would be courting her? "I will try my hardest. I don't have an owl. My father is a muggle and hates such things."

'Demon, it's alright. I will wait for your letters and write to you at night if you prefer.' She assured him.

He didn't know what he did to deserve this girl, but he was damn sure he would keep her forever. Step one was getting the petition approved. Step two was courting her. Step three would be getting a job to build something off of and support her. Once he showed her father that he was a stable man who had his priorities right then he would ask for her hand in marriage. He kept playing with her ring finger on her left hand, it seemed to be missing something and he knew it was a ring. The petition meant he could court her and she could be his. But a ring would indeed show the world she belonged to him.

The train stopped and she held onto him as tight as she could until the train was nearly empty. He helped her stand up when all of their friends had exited the compartment. She slid the door closed the door, slipped the cover down and nearly tackled him with her kisses and tight embrace. He laughed and met her lips with equal favor. Her lips latched onto his neck and he tilted his head back, his Adam's apple moving up and down as he gulped.

"Don't forget about me, Demon." She whispered in his ear.

"Never." Was all he could manage to say, his mind in the gutter and the blood rushing from his head to other places.

Their foreheads pressed together, and he felt light headed. He was on his own personal high of her and was nowhere near ready to let her go. He heard them call out for everyone to get off the train for the final time. She kissed the tip of his nose and pulled away. He helped her take her trunk off the train with his own and met her father.

"Lord Ollivander." He greeted and bowed slightly. He placed her trunk next to him and handed her bag back to her.

"Lord Prince, thank you for assisting my daughter off the train." Garrick nodded his head and shook Severus' hand.

"My pleasure, Sir." He said his official goodbyes and kissed her hand.

"Send your mother my regards. We look forward to meeting with you both next week to make the final preparations." Garrick said and shrunk Juliet's trunk and pocketed it.

Everyone on the Platform was looking at all of them with wife's eyes. It was true. Apparently, their children had been right when they spoke of the half-blood who was petitioning for the purest of the Sacred 28. Most of the muggle parents looked on with curiosity, and the pureblood parents looked on with jealousy. All of their petitions were denied immediately, but the no named half blood won out above all others? What was Garrick playing at? If he was making a political statement, this was the wrong time for it. There were rumors and whispers in the dark corners of the wizarding world of a bigger evil than Grindelwald on the rise.

"I will, sir. Farewell Lady Juliet, I hope you both have a pleasant summer." He bent and kissed the back of her hand.


	21. Chapter 21

He could hear it from the street, the yelling coming from inside the house he grew up in. Sighing heavily and tightening the grip on his trunk handle, he walked inside. His father was drinking, what else was new? He crept past the living room and up the stairs as he had done many summers now. His father was drinking again; when he wasn't, he was passed out in his favorite chair or at work. As he said before, his father was a man of the Lord and believed in drinking the blood of Christ nightly. It wasn't the water and the wine trick they did in church; it was straight up whiskey.

He could hear his mother sobbing downstairs and knew that if he went down there, he would do more harm then help. When it got quiet, he snuck out of his room and made sure his mother was okay even though he knew she wasn't. He just needed to check on her and see how much worse she had gotten. She was sitting on the couch in the living room. He didn't know why it was called a living room when they all died a little inside each time they entered it.

"Mum." He said quietly from the doorway.

She was staring into the fire and sitting with a stiff posture, her back straight and her hands in her lap. He moved to bend a knee in front of her, crouching down and grabbing her hands.

"Your hands are freezing, Mum. Let me get you a blanket." He reached for the blanket on the back of the couch and wrapped it around her tightly. Whenever he was home, he reverted to the Cockney accent his father raised him on. It wasn't until he was older that his mother taught him the Proper way. He learned a lot more when he started school at Hogwarts.

"It set him off you know." She said quietly without looking at him.

"The owl?" he didn't know why he asked. He knew the answer.

She nodded and swallowed hard. "Wasn't the poor thing's fault. It waited on the back porch for me; I don't know how long it was there. Your father never goes out there. Just bad luck I guess."

"I'm sorry Mum, I…" he sighed and rubbed his forehead.

Heavy footsteps sounded above them, the ceiling above them creaked, and some dust fell. They both stopped breathing immediately and waited for it to get silent once more, praying that he wouldn't come back down.

"You petitioned for a girl. Under the Prince name," she said and looked at him head on. Her lanky black hair was a trait that he inherited from her. Her eyes were black as well; he got those too. She was thin, but that wasn't genetic, it was poor living and lack of life in her.

"If I didn't… he would have had to sign to." He said and pointed up to the ceiling in reference to his father.

She sucked on her bottom lip and looked back to the fire for a few more moments before slowly nodding her head. "I understand." She looked back at him and grabbed his hand. "This girl... is she nice?"

He couldn't help but smile and feel the twisting of his stomach at the thought of the silver eyed girl who had stolen his heart. "She is. And She's very pretty. You'll like her, Mum. I just know it."

"I tried to hide the letter. Your father saw it. He… wants to know what he gets out of it if he lets you-"

"I'm not letting him anywhere near her! He isn't going to 'let' me do anything!" Severus started to raise his voice. Juliet was the one good thing in his life right now, and of all the things he wasn't going to let his father ruin it for him.

"Severus, lower your voice!" she hissed.

The footsteps sounded from above again. "What the bloody hell is that noise?"

"N-nothing dear, it came from outside. Neighbor kids I think." She called back.

"What's a man gotta do to get some goddamned quiet around here?!" he yelled and slammed the bedroom door.

They both exhaled a sigh of relief when the heard the bedsprings shift from the bedroom upstairs. He was laying for the night, and they could rest easy for now.

"You'll sign for me, won't you? Please, Mum." He begged.

She looked at him long and hard. "Severus, I left the wizarding world a long time ago. I don't know."

"Things have changed, people have changed. They won't know you, no one will recognize you. Besides- everyone in the Prince line is dead but us." He never wanted something more in his life than for that petition to be signed. He thought it was Lily's return of undying love and affection, but that was just child's play compared to the feelings he had for Juliet.

"We'll see. Let's hope your father forgets about it alright? You've had a long journey; let's get some shut-eye while we can and talk about it more when your father goes to work tomorrow."

* * *

It was the longest week of his life. He stayed out of his father's way as much as he could. Of course, it would only last for so long until his father was looking for him. "The bastard leech returns." Tobias spat from across the breakfast table.

There was a platter of food before him and nothing in front of his mother and nothing at his seat. Yet his father always said a family of the Lord breaks bread together at the family table. There was a glass of water in place of where a plate of food should have been for an average family. Severus didn't respond verbally. Just nodded his head in greeting and took his seat as quiet as he could.

"You sure they don't allow you lot to stay over the summer? Been the best times of our life without you here. Innit been, Eileen? Tell 'im." He complained with a mouthful of food.

Eileen looked sadly at Severus. "It's been quiet."

His father laughed and pointed his fork from her to Severus. "Quiet. Some good ol' peace around here and I don't want you to fuck it up."

Severus nodded his head and kept his eyes downcast downward.

"You hear me boy? Answer me when I talk at you."

"Yes, sir."

Tobias stood up and grabbed his lunch box from the counter. "You need to learn some manners boy, you're comin' of age next year, and you can bet your arse you'll be working at the factory with me." He walked out the front door and slammed it behind him.

They both let out an exhausted breath. Severus let his head thud on the wooden table in front of him and moaned, "This is my legacy?"

Eileen pushed the plate of half eaten plate of food in his direction. "Eat up."

He raised his head and shook it. Sliding the plate back to his mother. "No, Mum. You eat. I'm not hungry."

She took the plate and ate quickly; she couldn't remember the last time she had this much food in her stomach. "I'll go." She said suddenly between bites of food.

He perked up, "Really?"

She nodded her head and looked at the front door for a moment, waiting for his father to come storming back in. She knew he wouldn't, of all the poor qualities of her husband his greatest one was showing up to work on time and every day. "Promise me… you'll get out of here. Go far away and don't look back when you become of age."

"I can't leave you-"

"Don't worry about me. Just promise me that you won't let him ruin your future too." She begged him and grabbed his hand from across the table.

"Your future isn't over Mum. Far from it, as I see it. You're a witch; you'll live five times longer than Da'. We can leave right now. I'm friends with a lot of Sacred 28 who wouldn't think twice about helping out one of their own. Lucius' da' will help us until we get on our feet, I know it!" he said and squeezed her hand.

"I can't leave your father- I mean- what would he do without me?" she shook her head.

"He'd probably complain that it was still too loud." Severus scoffed.

That made her laugh at least. Music to his ears, he hadn't heard his mother laugh in years.

"I'll get a job this summer. You'll see, I'll find some shop that'll hire me for the summer or something. I'll save up, and we can get a cheap place in Diagon Alley." He wanted this for so long as well, and he never dared bring it up to his mother till now.

"You're your own man after I sign this petition for you, Severus. You don't need me dragging you down. Live your life free and to the fullest. Come, get ready. We are going to Diagon Alley." She smiled at him and stood up.

* * *

An hour later he was pacing in the foyer waiting for his mother. He was wearing his best robes, which weren't really his in the first place. They were an old set that Yaxley had given him earlier that year when his mother sent him new ones. He couldn't wait for the day when he could buy his own things and spoil his mother and girlfriend. Most children didn't want to work and tried to live off their parents as long as they could. Not Severus, he wanted out. He wanted freedom and all the perks that came with it. He wanted to be a potions master one day, the youngest the world had ever seen and would do anything and everything for it.

He wanted to make new potions and gain royalties from them, travel the world and discover new ingredients and document them. He had grown up on an old dirt road and always did as he was told. All of his things were second hand from the rich kids. He grew up faster than other, and he grew up mean, he wouldn't deny that. He knew he was an "angry little shit" as his father called him growing up. He didn't care at all, he wanted a piece of the world, and he would claw and bite his way to the top if he had to.

His mother came down the stairs holding her purse that he was sure her old wand was in. She was fidgeting with her robes. "It's been so long; they don't fit me anymore."

"You look great, Mum. I can make them fit for you." He took his wand out.

"It's fine. Let's go, get this over with and come straight back home." She said and held her arm out to him.

She apparated him to the outskirts of Knockturn Alley; it was the only quiet place she knew of to sidelong apparate with him. They began to walk towards Gringotts where Garrick asked to meet him. He had a solicitor there that would make sure everything was done properly and sent to the Ministry right away.

"So tell me about this girl." She said as they strolled to the bank.

"She's perfect, Mum. Her name is Juliet; she's a Ravenclaw and really smart. She's mute, you know. She can't speak. She uses sign language like you taught me." He went on and one about how amazing Juliet was as they walked. He was excited to see her again and hoped that she missed him too.

He held the door open for his mother and let her enter first; he ran a hand through his hair making sure it wasn't sticking up. "How do I look?" he asked his mother.

"Very handsome." She gave him a small smile and fixed his collar of his robes.

"Please don't say like my father." He snorted and saw her smile meet her eyes this time.

He heard a whistle from his right, Juliet. She was able to whistle though she couldn't speak. She had a unique whistle for everyone in her life, and it was their call sign or name when she needed their attention from a distance. He looked over towards the private offices and saw her standing there by herself. She smiled and waved at him, she was wearing light blue dress robes with darker blue trim, and her hair was up with the combs he had bought her for Christmas.

"She's very pretty." His mother said from his side. He nodded and blushed slightly, leading his mother by the arm towards her.

Severus greeted Juliet with a bow and kissed her hand. "Lady Juliet, this is my mother, Madam Eileen Prince." He told his mother that the contract would be signed under her maiden name and had to be addressed as such.

Juliet smiled at his mother and gave her a small curtsy. 'Madam Prince, it's very nice to meet you finally.' She pulled out her wand, and the little black ribbon spelled the words as well.

His mother smiled and signed back. 'I have heard many good things about you.'

Juliet's eyes widened with her smile. 'The same about you. It's very refreshing to meet someone else who can use sign language as well.'

Garrick came out of one of the offices with and smiled at them. His mother stiffened at his side, and her smile faded away immediately. He waved at them to come with him into the office. Juliet walked away first, and his mother held him back for a moment.

"You didn't tell me she was an  _Ollivander!_ " she hissed.

"What? You got the letter from him!" he hissed back.

"Your father didn't let me read the whole thing! Merlin's beard you petitioned for a Sacred 28?! I didn't even know Ollivander had a daughter!" she was starting to panic.

"We'll be there in a moment!" he called out to Juliet who was looking back at them. "First of all, you haven't been in the wizarding world in probably twenty years, second of all what do you mean by that?!"

"I didn't mean that you weren't good enough. It's just… Merlin… Ollivander accepted  _you?!"_  she started to fix her robes and mess with her hair. "It's like meeting royalty! I thought maybe she was a Weasley!"

"Ouch Mum… Ouch." He said and started to walk away from her.

"I didn't mean it like that!" she whispered before meeting Garrick and Juliet in the office.

"Ah good, you're here! Madam Prince, a pleasure to meet you again. I am Lord Garrick of House Ollivander." He greeted and bowed to her, kissing the back of her hand. Then he welcomed Severus who bowed and shook his hand.

She returned his greeting with a curtsy and bow of her head. "Lord Ollivander, pleasure is mine. I must confess, I haven't seen you since Severus here was getting his wand all those years ago."

"Ahem, I am Martin Elting, Lord Ollivander's solicitor. I'll be handling everything here today." He greeted and kissed her hand as well, then shook Severus'.

There were no chairs in the room, just the desk in the center and Mr. Elting was standing on the other side of it with the petition with the scroll sitting in the middle of the desk. "Lord Ollivander, I believe you have some things to say before we sign?"

Garrick immediately rounded on Severus. "You remember what I said before, boy? You hurt her…"

Juliet stepped in between them and put her hand on Garrick's chest. 'PAPA STOP!' she mouthed to him.

"Sir, I wouldn't dream of hurting her." He stood up straight and kept his hands behind his back.

"I have raised my son better than that. If he does step out of line I assure you, I will deal with him accordingly." Eileen said sternly.

Severus looked at his mother with wide eyes; he'd never heard her speak like that before! She gave him a firm look then nodded to Garrick. "Very well, let us sign," Garrick said and nodded to the solicitor.

"Madam Prince, if you will sign your name." Mr. Elting held a quill out for her to take.

She looked at Severus then at Juliet and signed her name. "I wish you two the happiest of days."

"Lord Ollivander, if you please."

Garrick stepped forward and scowled at Severus, reading his thoughts before finally signing his name on the scroll.

"I need both of you to touch your wands to your names and the petition will be sealed." He explained and held his own wand out above the scroll. Once both heads of house touched the tips of their wands to the scroll, he continued. "On this day, July 8th, 1976, I Martin Elting witnessed the approval petition that allows Severus of House Prince to court Juliet of House Ollivander. Granted with permission from both heads of Houses. This petition is to be approved base on Lady Juliet's acceptance of Lord Severus. Does the Lady accept?"

Everyone turned to her, Severus felt his heart race and a hard ball form in the back of his throat as he looked at her expectantly. Begging her mentally not to deny him when he had just gotten this far.

'I accept Lord Severus.' The little ribbon spelled out to them and she smiled.

"This petition is approved and will be made public that Lady Juliet is promised to Lord Severus. This petition is also open in the clause of marriage. Should Lord Severus wish to take Lady Juliet's hand in marriage and join the two great Houses of Ollivander and Prince, he will be required to gain approval from both Heads of Houses. Does Lord Severus accept?"

"I accept Lady Juliet and the conditions of the petition." He said firmly. He had never been so sure of anything in his life!

"I hereby swear as witness to the signing of this contract. House Ollivander and House Prince are now joined by courtship with potential marriage. This contract may be broken by one or both houses with valid reason and cause."

Three wands formed a golden triangle between each other above the contract. The scroll lit up in a bright golden color then sealed itself. They put their wands away, and the solicitor grabbed the scroll. "Pleasure doing business with you as always, Lord Garrick. Madam Prince, I hope you have the most pleasant day, and I wish the best for the new couple. I will see this to the Ministry at once, and news will be sent out with this evenings Prophet. Good day." He bowed to all of them and walked himself out of the office.

Juliet waited for the door to close before she launched herself at Severus. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Eileen looked at her son with a caring smile; she was so pleased that her son had found the happiness she could not. Garrick just had an amused smirk about him.

"I believe it's time for dinner, would you do me the honors of joining me Madam Prince?" Garrick offered and held his arm out.

Dinner? How long had they been there?! She started to panic. "Apologies, Lord Ollivander but I must be getting home. Perhaps another time."

Garrick didn't have to read her mind to know that she was afraid of her husband. "I understand. Perhaps Severus can stay? I think the new couple would like to spend a bit more time together. I will see that he is home safely at a decent hour."

She looked over at the hugging couple with sad eyes. "Yes, I think that might be best."


	22. Chapter 22

The prettiest girl in the world was on his arm and they were walking through Diagon Alley. His mother had slipped him a tiny pouch of a few gold coins. He didn't know how or where she had gotten it but would be sure to thank her when he got home. The sun had already set and the oil lanterns lit up the streets. Garrick told them to go on to dinner and he would meet them back at the wand shop when Severus was ready to go home. People stopped and bowed to both of them in congratulations and others sneered and gave them the stiff upper lip in passing.

The evening edition came out, they were on the front page of the Prophet with a picture of them walking out of Gringotts hand in hand. He bought two copies from the local boy on the street corner. One for him and one for Juliet. He led her to a small diner that was nothing fancy, he couldn't afford more than a couple of sandwiches anyway. He held her hand everywhere they went, wanting to show her off to the world. To shove it in everyone's faces.

He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs from the roof of the bank.  _'EAT SHIT WORLD; I GOT THE GIRL!'_

He didn't of course. He made certain to return her home and a reasonable hour and was able to kiss her goodnight. He made sure to do so outside of the wand shop, for everyone else to see except Garrick. He had the rights to do so but he wasn't going to shove it in his face. Severus was smarter than that, give him some credit!

'I will miss you.' She mouthed to him as they said their goodbyes.

He brushed the stray hairs on her forehead away and gave her a genuine smile. "I will come back as often as I can. I'm going to find a job this summer. Maybe I'll start looking here in Diagon, would you like that?"

'Oh yes! We could have lunch together every day!' She perked up, her smile brightening up the dark street.

"Would you make me lunch? You know I love your food." He kissed her knuckles, then rubbed his thumb across them.

She nodded. 'Maybe Papa can help you find work.'

He shook his head and held it high. "I need to do this for myself. I won't have anyone saying that I'm using you to get to the top. I am my own man. I will make my own way." He said firmly flexing his hand into a fist.

'You are your own savior.' She tilted her head and smiled, quoting back his own words he once told her in the library.

He let out a small short breath of laughter. "I am my own Savior."

He held the door open for her to the wand shop and let her pass through first. Garrick came from the back and gave them a warm smile. "Have a good time?"

She smiled and nodded, wrapping an arm around Severus' waist.

"Sir, I would like to call on your daughter again this summer. If you would allow." He said formally. he may have gotten permission to date her, but that didn't mean he could sweep her away from her duties and family.

"I see no problem with that. Little one, go on then. I'll see Lord Prince home shortly." Garrick nodded his head to the staircase behind the counter.

Juliet stood on her toes and kissed Severus on the cheek quickly and said her final goodbye. Garrick walked around the counter, and Severus waited for him by the door. "Which apparition point sir?"

"Here is fine." He smirked and held his arm out to Severus.

"I thought that one couldn't apparate within city limits…. Sir."

"You'll find very quickly…" Garrick chose his words wisely before finishing his sentence. "That I do whatever the hell want."

Severus barked out a genuine laugh and threw his head back. "That you do sir. Glad to see someone other than the Headmaster making their own path in the world."

Garrick let out his own laugh, though more of a sarcastic tone. "Albus gets away with a lot of shit. I may do whatever I want, but I made sure that I go through the proper channels. Trust me, Albus isn't the senile old fool he plays everyone to believe."

"I will take your word for it, Sir." Severus was amused to find the one person in the world who didn't think the Headmaster wasn't the saving grace of the wizarding world.

"A very useful lesson in life I will give you…. ALL Dumbledore's are arseholes." Garrick said and waved his hands around in a circle to represent all the Dumbledores in the world.

"His brother-"

"Aberforth cheats at cards!" he snapped suddenly with a playful smirk on the edge of his lips. "Come, let me see you home to your mother."

* * *

When he got home he could hear the crashing and yelling. He turned to Garrick who gave him a sympathetic look. "Come see me if you need any help. With  _anything._ " Then bowed and disappeared with a small 'pop.'

He rushed inside, yelling was one thing but the sound of things breaking meant his father was being "hands on." His mother was cowering in a corner on the floor, her hands up blocking potential blows from his father. The thin man who he looked just like was holding his belt up and waving it around while he threw the lamp against the wall.

"Did I say you could leave the house?!" he screamed at her. Lifting his arm to strike her again with the belt. Her arms were already covered in red lines where she had tried to block them from hitting her face. Her lip was split and a dark shadow under her left eye where it was starting to swell.

Severus caught his hand before it came down on her. "Leave her alone!"

Tobias spun around and shoved Severus hard in the chest. Knocking him into the side table that held another lamp yet to be broken. "You! Dare come back after you took your mother gallivanting around that devil world of yours!"

" _Gallivanting?!_  That's a big word for you isn't it!" he spat back.

"Severus no-" his mother tried to stop him. This wasn't the first time he attempted to stand up to his father.

"You little shit!" Tobias dropped the belt he was holding and made to grab him by the throat.

Severus grabbed the little side table by its legs and brought it up above his head. Swinging it down on his father's forehead and breaking it into a dozen pieces. Tobias went down, and the massive cut across his forehead started to bleed out on the dirty carpeted floor.

It was quiet, the only sound in the room was the crackling fire and their labored breath. Severus and his mother locked eyes from across the room, trying to figure out what to do now. He'd never taken his father down, let alone knocked him out!

"Are you alright, Mum?" he asked suddenly, seeing her swollen face.

"Yes. Are you?"

"Yeah." He looked back at his limp father. He was alive unfortunately but now left them in a new situation they never had to deal with before. "What do we do now?"

She got up shakily, he rushed to her side and helped her stand. "Well… we get him upstairs. Get him to bed and take care of that cut."

Or they could throw him into the river, he thought. "And when he wakes?"

"We tell him he fell down the stairs, that loose board finally gave way. You have your wand? Help me take him up." She said and rolled him over.

Severus sighed, she would never give up on this bastard. "Mum… why don't we-"

"I said help me get him upstairs." She said firmly. He sighed and did as told, hoping that his father wouldn't make it through the night. Silently begging the gods above that his blow to the head was his final demise.

* * *

Luck was hardly ever on his side, his father had lived and now demanded service from his bedside as if he was the King of England. Severus rolled his eyes every time he heard his father call for his mother from upstairs. At least he was weakened to the point where he couldn't hit her. For the time being. Severus had thought of all the places he could go to find a job, he thought briefly of the factory his father worked at and decided he'd rather live in worse poverty that succumb to that prison. He knew what it did to the older man and he swore he was nothing like his father.

He walked around town for a bit, looking for some help wanted signed in the windows but no such luck so far. He was sitting on one of the stone walls of one of the many bridges in the city. The murky green colored water flowing quickly under his swinging feet. He turned his head to the sound of a motorbike coming towards him on the road.

There was a rider on the bike who looked like he wasn't entirely in control of it. He was wobbly and swerving left and right into different lanes. Most likely a drunk coming from the pub after an all-nighter. He passed Severus and headed straight into the metal median at the other side of the bridge, the rider didn't make the sharp turn to the right that followed the road. The crash was loud and the rider flew high in the air and landed on the other side of the median, the bike's front wheel collapsing on its frame and sputtered out with black smoke.

"Humph. Don't see that every day." He mused and watched on as the people who lived in surrounding houses ran to help the biker.

Police and ambulance were called, the biker taken on a stretcher to the local hospital. The police took the stories of the witnesses but summed it up to yet another drunk driver. "What about the bike, boss?"

"Just push it off the road. I'll have the station send a wrecker in a bit. Might not, this place is a shit hole anyway." The assumed boss with a big mustache laughed and flicked his cigarette before getting in his on the vehicle.

Severus waited for everyone to clear out and for night to come. Under the cover of darkness he picked the bike up and rolled it all the way home. They said the driver was most likely going to jail for a long since this wasn't his first offence and they did say the bike was damaged beyond repair. For a muggle, that is. He was going to take it to the shed out back and try his hand (and wand) at fixing it himself. Perhaps this would just solve his travelling issue with seeing Juliet.

It took him all week and all of his father's tools to get the bike to LOOK like it wasn't broken. With his wand he straightened the frame, tire and chain. The carburetor was another story, with muggle mechanics you couldn't just 'repairo' your way into solving all the problems. Most but not all. He tore it apart and got set to rebuild it after visiting the muggle library. He checked out some books on muggle mechanics, specifically to the 1972 BSA B50 single cylinder motorbike.

He tore it apart, rebuilt it, installed it, tested it and repeated over and over until it stayed running without issues. He revved the engine by twisting the handle and watched the black smoke clear out of the tail pipe until it was gone. He'd ridden a bike before, wasn't his of course, it was Lily's and he was under the assumption that it was basically the same thing. How wrong he was. He kicked it off its stand and put the helmet on that the previous owner had left at the scene.

He wanted to start off slow and steady but stalled out twice by the time he got it into the yard. He was getting frustrated so he gunned it, hoping that the bike wouldn't stall and that he wouldn't burn the clutch. It kicked up on his read tire and nearly bucked him off but he stayed on. He made it to the end od the driveway before he lost his balance and fall into a bush. He started laughing at his own crap luck and got up to try again after brushing the dirt off himself.

He finally got the hang of the bike and it's power as he circled the bike a few times. He ran out of gas on the other side of town and had to walk it back. There was a jug of some old gas his father kept in the garage, it would do for now but didn't solve his long-term problem. Perhaps he could become a food delivery driver for a local joint? He decided to paint the bike, its bright yellow color didn't suit him one bit. It had a bunch of scrapes from when it wrecked anyway. He used his wand to repaint it black and silver, less conspicuous he thought.

* * *

He geared up the next day, filled the tank and put on an old leather jacket of his father's he found in the back of the coat closet. He was going to see Juliet today and he was extremely nervous. He'd only ever been around town and London was a 4 hour ride at best. Thoughts of his raven-haired beauty made it all worth it. The ride was relaxing and only had stalled out once when he reached a stop sign, other than that it was a great ride.

He parked the bike behind the wand shop, knowing that no one would go near it. Wizards feared all things muggle after all. He wouldn't dare drive it in the main streets filled with people but the back alleys were another thing, no one ever bothered to go in the, except throw out trash. The alley in the back of the wand shop was only two right turns that led into a muggle alley that was enchanted much like Hogwarts. The leaky cauldron wasn't the only street access into the wizarding city.

He was going to walk around the front and greet Garrick properly but Juliet came running out of the back of the shop. She jumped off the top step and threw her arms around him. They hadn't seen each other in a few weeks and she missed him dearly. She had to crane her neck to see his face.

'It isn't fair.'

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. "What isn't fair?"

'Every time I see you-you keep getting taller every time, I swear!' she smiled up at him and shook her head with mock disappointment.

He picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around him. "Is this better, Angel?"

"Much better." She breathed against his lips and kissed him properly.

'What's with the motorcycle?' she asked after he put her back down.

He walked around it to show it off to her. "I found it, don't give me that look. Yes I found it. Fixed it up so I can have a way to come and see you. Until I can get my applaration license that is."

She put her his helmet on her head. 'When will you take me on a ride?'

He laughed at her. "Easy there, Evil Knievel. Once I feel sure enough on my own then MAYBE I'll take you for a ride."

She rubbed her hand along the front of his leather jacket and sighed. "You don't have to take me on the bike to give me a ride."

He sputtered, he never heard such words come from her mouth before and didn't know what to say. She smirked at him and walked back towards the shop door.

'Go around the front and greet Papa, I'll start on lunch.' She signed before walking back inside and closing the door behind her.

"Little temptress… who's the demon now?" he muttered and adjusted the crotch of his pants.


	23. Chapter 23

When he returned home there was a man leaning against the shed in his backyard. Arms crossed and casually looking at his watch every now and then. Severus eyed him for a while before parking the bike in the shed and taking his helmet off.

"Can I help you?" he eyed him cautiously as he spoke. The man was tall and thin, with long black wavy hair and bushy eyebrows. He was wearing muggle clothes, a pair of black slacks and a long button up green shirt with a black blazer.

"Yes I think you can… Lord Prince." The man said with a smirk on his face.

SHIT. It had to be an Auror coming to take him away for underage magic. He thought he had been careful! "You are?" he asked bluntly.

"A man ready to offer you a job. Come with me." He said and walked off his property and down the street. Not giving Severus a chance to ask any follow up questions.

Curiosity got the better of him. He followed shortly after to a dark house around the block from Spinners End. The man opened the door for Severus and walked in first after seeing his hesitation. Severus could recognize the smell of a potions lab immediately upon entering the home.

It was much larger on the inside than what could be seen from the street. Right when you walked in the door there were herbs and plants hanging from planters and hooks. There were dozens of cauldrons going at different flame levels and colors. He could spot headache remedies, wart removers and pepper up potions immediately.

"Now that we're out of Muggle sight… I am Johan Jiggers." He said with a German accent at the pronunciation of his name and held his hand out.

"Jiggers- as is famed Potions Master Jiggers? As in owner of Slug and Jiggers Apothecary?" Severus was star struck to say the least.

"Co-owner really… damned Horace Slughorn won't sell me his half and makes me keep his incompetent nephew running the shop." He scowled.

"It's an honor, Sir. A very huge honor. How many I help you?" he asked hopefully, looking at the potions.

"I've been keeping my eye on you boy, you and that little redhead girl up the block are the only magic kind around here besides myself. Horace told me you're his prized pupil when it comes to the art of potions. Had to see for myself, mind you Horace thinks the Chudley Cannons are up and coming." He really didn't hold high opinion of his business partner. "Then I saw your face in the papers a few weeks ago. Promised to the Unicorn Princess- Ollivander's girl. Knew he had a son… but not a daughter…"

Son? She had a brother? Why didn't she say anything? Maybe he was much older….or maybe he passed away. Perhaps that was why Garrick was so protective of her. "And the job sir? Brewing for you?"

Of course Jiggers meant Garrick's son, Garrus Ollivander. The one who schooled in Rome, Juliet's actual father before she was sent back in time. The one they were keeping on the hush for everyone's protection, no thanks to Albus.

"Nope." Severus' shoulders fell and Jiggers laughed. "Not yet at least. Don't worry boy, all apprentices start our sweeping floors and cleaning cauldrons."

He perked up. "Apprentice?"

"If I'm not mistaken in the field of study you chose for a career path." He saw Severus shake his head. "Didn't think so. I have a proposition for you. A job, like I said. I have daily shipments that need to be sent to out. Some of them are along the way to Diagon, the rest need to go to my shop. They can't be sent via floo without ruining the whole batch. But you and that fancy new motorbike can make deliveries for me."

He walked over to one of the workbenches and waved his hand to some of the crates with the 'S&J' logo painted on it. "These can't be shrunk down or sent via floo. You will take them to my shop in Diagon. When you get to the shop with the potions, you will have a two hour lunch to do as you please and see a certain wand shop girl next door. Then you are to return here with ingredients and orders that were placed for the day."

This was the answer to his prayers! The job of a lifetime! "You said earlier that this was a job, now you say apprenticeship. Only one of those pays." Severus was desperate but not stupid.

Jiggers winked at him and chuckled. "Slytherin through and through aren't you? You will work Monday through Friday until you return to school at the end of summer. I will pay you weekly of fifty galleons. I assume you will be going to Diagon on the weekends as well to see your paramour. Should you decide to make the deliveries, since you're going that way anyway, I will add 10 galleons. When you are not making deliveries, I will teach you the subtle art that is Potions. Next summer I will increase your workload, and by the time you graduate, you will have your Masters. Making you the youngest Master ever known. How does that sound to you, Lord Prince? Or shall I say… Apprentice Prince?"

Severus narrowed his eyes at the man who was offering the olive branch. They both needed each other but who really needed who the most? "150 galleons a week. 20 extra for weekends. You start me brewing and skip the cauldron scrubbing that I learned under the Slughorn, who will vouch for me on my apprentice application. I still become a master at the same rate. I'm not looking for the title or the quick come up, I want to be the best Potions Master there is."

Jiggers pursed his lips and furrowed his bushy brows. "150 galleons?! You got a pair on you, boy."

"I know how much money I'm saving you and I know what you're worth. Slytherin through and through,  _Sir._  You're using owls now. I know the cost and the contract you have is coming up for renew, like all the other shops in Diagon." Severus took a few more steps closer and went to the empty owl perch by the window.

Jiggers narrowed his eyes at him but waved his hand for him to continue speaking, he was curious to see where this was going.

"You're currently paying out roughly 300 galleons a week and paying nearly double a day for weekend delivery. They are going to increase your contract price, that's why you're looking for an out. You're the cheapest in the London area, meaning you aren't getting your own return on delivery fees. You still make money and save money off of me. I also know I can carry all those crates in one trip versus a dozen owls sent over a week.  _Sir._ " Severus said as he kept his hands behind his back.

"Well, well. You are going to make a good businessman someday….  _Apprentice Prince._  You have yourself a deal." He held his hand out for Severus to shake.

"Throw in some muggle money for Petrol- for the bike. File it under a business expense for your taxes and you won't really be spending anything. THEN… we have a deal." Severus countered and held his hand out for him to take the new offer.

Jiggers looked like he was chewing on a piece of leather as he ran the numbers through his head. "FINE! But you still take out the trash and clean the damn cauldrons." He said and shook his hand roughly.

* * *

He started the next day, he was there bright and early with his leather jacket and hair slicked back. His hair worked best slicked back for the helmet and the wind, and Juliet told him that putting it away from his face gave him a distinguished look. That meant she liked it, so he did it. He couldn't wait to show up to the shop today and surprise her with his new job and making good money. 150 galleons a week was pocket change for most of his friends but at this rate with a whole two months left in the summer he would make a huge sum. Over 2000 galleons in a summer and learning the trade from one of the best Masters in the country.

Jiggers helped him secure three extended metal cases on the bike. One on each side above the muffler and one sitting on the seat behind him. They were locked magically of course, only to be opened by Severus' wand or the shop keeps. They were extremely bigger than either of them planned when they extended the cases magically and Jiggers had put his own cushioning charm of his own making on them and the bike. He told Severus that he could run the bike off a cliff and bounce safely back on two tires. Then he told him under no circumstances that he was to try it.

He changed the plates on the back and transfigured a muggle drivers license for him in case he was stopped by the authorities. He gave Severus a few coins as a sign on bonus, so he would have a bit of money to see his special Lady and fill the bike up with gas. Until then, he was paid at the end of every week. Severus thought that the 4 hour bike ride would have been pain on him and his patience but it was the opposite. He finally had a purpose, things at home were quiet, a stable job and the prettiest girl in the world waiting for him at the end.

He made his two stops, collected the coins from the customers, and headed out to Diagon Alley. Luck was on his side that the back of the Apothecary had a sliding garage door he could drive through in the back. It was meant for them to cart out large crates of potions and supplies. The Apothecary was also right next door to the wand shop. He would park in the back storage, unload the crates, take his two hour lunch with Juliet then come back and load up and head home.

When she heard his bike the very next day she jumped up and ran out the back door and followed him to the back of the Apothecary. She patiently waited him to finish his work and greeted him with a big hug and a kiss.

'You're working for Professor Slughorn?' she was excited.

It warmed his heart that she was genuinely interested in things going on in his life. Unlike Lily, who talked forever about herself and rolled her eyes whenever he opened his mouth. "No… I'm an apprentice under Master Jiggers. He lives up the road for me and I make deliveries. He's going to take me under his wing."

She gasped, her mouth opened wide in shock. She jumped up and down and clapped her hands. 'Come, tell me all about it over lunch! I made chicken noodle soup and sandwiches.'

She dragged him back to the wand shop through the back door, and to the kitchen. She sat him down, fed him, listened to how his day went and asked him a lot of questions. Was this how normal relationships worked? Having the other person genuinely care about how you think, feel and act? He craved more of it! Her hands hardly left his as they ate and talked during lunch.

When the food was done he told her he still had another hour left before he had to head back. He wanted to take her out to get ice cream with his coins he was given. She went to speak to her father about leaving for a few and met him by the back door. She was hanging all over him, hand in his, her other hand on his leather sleeved arm and her eyes on him. A few reporters stopped to ask them questions but he shook his head and led her away, he didn't want to waste any time on such nonsense.

At the ice cream parlor he ordered a strawberry ice cream with extra sprinkles for her and a mint chocolate chip for himself. They ate it outside the little shop at one of the tables fenced off by a little gate. People passed and looked at them, either bowing their heads or muttering slurs under their breath about him not deserving her. She ignored all of it and kept her eyes and hands on him.

'When will you come back?' she asked.

"Tomorrow… and the day after that. This is my job for the summer. Every day I will come back here, even weekends to make some extra coin." He said proudly and rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand.

Her smile got bigger and she nearly swooned at the thought of seeing him every day. 'Wait until I tell Papa, he will be so impressed with you! I know I am!'

He perked up and tried to hide his excitement. It didn't work. "Wow- really? I mean…"

'Of course I am! I am so proud of you, Severus. You followed through with what you said, making your own way. I am so happy for my Demon.' She mouthed the words as she signed them and he felt his ego along with his heart blow up with the admiration she was giving him.

He wasn't used to hearing any praise in his direction that wasn't sarcastic, and he wasn't used to the sweetest of touches that she was giving him on the daily basis. He wanted to take her with him, ride with him on the way back home. The thought of her body pressed against his back for four hours made his cock twitch. Yet… the destination of home wasn't a place you take a Lady. He meant what he told his mother, he would never let his monster of a father anywhere near his Angel.

"If it isn't the frog prince and the mute-tard princess." James sneered as he came up to them at the ice cream shop.

Severus stood to defend her honor but she grabbed his arm. "You will do well to keep your comments to yourself in the presence of a Lady." He growled through grit teeth.

"Hear that Prongs? He's a Lady now." Remus chortled.

"Saw you come in with that stupid little bike you got. Using muggle means for a living, what would her  _father_  say? Sacred 28 don't do muggle, Snape." Sirius spat. "It'll be your downfall. Just you watch. You and that stupid little jacket of yours."

They left as quickly as they had come, leaving him fuming at the ears until she snogged him in the middle of the busy street. He forgot why he was angry in the first place.

* * *

The Prophet had them both on the front page a few times over the summer again, they were the hottest new thing apparently. A 'royal couple' as the papers had dubbed them. Their names in the paper being "Unicorn Princess and the Half Blood Prince." They did a whole front page article with a picture of him on the bike, about how Master Jiggers had taken on his first ever apprentice. Master Jiggers never took on an apprentice because he saw it as a waste of time and he was entirely too picky of who he would take on. Severus was the celebrity now, everyone wanted to know what made him so special. Neither would ever tell that the old Master wanted cheap labor and delivery.

Much to the Marauder's disappointment, the paper painted him in the shining light. It briefly spoke of his relationship with the 'Unicorn Princess' and gaining favor with her father. It wrote that he was paving his own way, making a name for himself without the aid of the Sacred 28 name he had a contract with. The public loved that the no named nobody came up on his own and worked hard for it, even if he rode a muggle motorbike. Local shops started selling leather jackets just like Severus' because they were in high demand. Sirius was furious!

Garrick was indeed impressed with Severus. The boy had told him that he was going to get a job and he went out and did so. He would watch Severus through the windows of the upper floors of his shop. He could see him working hard and loading and unloading the heavy crates by hand versus by wand to make sure that their contents weren't tampered with. He could see the boy take his daughters hand and open doors for her, kiss her hello and goodbye. He was happy he made the right choice by accepting his petition.


	24. Chapter 24

Summer was coming to an end; he's saved all of his galleons like a niffler ready to nest for the hibernation of a long winter. He spent hardly any of it, except a few knuts a week to buy Juliet and himself some ice cream. When his letter came in for his school supplies, his mother started to panic. He told her not to worry about it anymore; he could buy them himself. He asked her to accompany him to Diagon Alley for two reasons, one being to get her acclimated to the wizarding world once more and the other so she would apparate him there and save him the 4-hour bike ride.

She refused both, not wanting to anger Tobias for leaving the house, let alone go back to the heathens of the Wizarding world. There hadn't been another outburst from him again since Severus hit his reset button with the side table. With a well placed obliviate and breaking the creaky step, he bought the story of falling down the stairs. It seemed to humble the man a bit, getting his wife to take care of his every need for a few weeks. He was still a right bastard, there was no fixing that, but there was less yelling and throwing things. Severus knew it wouldn't last and was afraid for his mother when he went back to school, leaving her alone with Dr. Jekyll and less Mr. Hyde.

Juliet was more than happy to go school shopping with him. She told him that if she ever said no to spending time with him, it was either an emergency or she was royally pissed at him. He kept that in mind for future reference and hoped that neither of those two things every happened. This was the first time he had the coin to spend on himself and get himself decent clothes and no more second-hand items. He was still frugal with his money, not buying unnecessary or extravagant things like his friends. When he went to get his potions supplies from Slug and Jiggers, the shopkeeper put it on the books and told Severus that an Apprentice's equipment was always at the Master's expense. Another coin saved.

They spent most of their time in the bookstore, each picking up their school books then choosing a book for pleasure. There was a big armchair in the back of the store they shared. Snuggly cuddling into his side and listening to him softly read the Baudelaire poetry book he picked up. He didn't believe in heaven, but if there was one he chose it to be this moment to be lived over and over forever. Her breath was soft on his neck, now and then a light kiss place on his jawline. One arm wrapped around his waist and the other with a fist full of his shirt as if she were afraid he would drift from her. One knee brought up to rest on his thigh, his thumb rubbing soft circles on the exposed skin.

When he went to buy new clothes and robes, the shop owner had given him nearly everything at half off no matter the price. Since they made a killing on those leather jackets over the summer, saying that it was all his doing, they wanted to make sure that their appreciation was shown. Selling a heavy leather winter coat in the middle of summer? They made a massive turn around on the ordinarily expensive winter material that the warehouses sold for dirt cheap in the summer.

When he was trying on clothes, Juliet made it very clear that she liked the tighter fitting clothes on him. Standing in front of the mirrors in a pair of slacks that fit and a shirt that wasn't baggy, her hands were all over him. "Two please!" he called out to the shopkeep. Lucius and Regs had joined up with them at that point and the two "classy dressed gents," as they called themselves, knew what he should buy. They told Juliet that she had to leave now, and they would surprise her later with his new outfits. They barely gave her enough time to kiss him goodbye before she headed back to the wand shop alone.

"See that girl out there? You need to dress the part, brother." Regs said while they were all in the dressing room. They too were there for their new wardrobe.

Before he could respond sarcastically, Lucius butted in as well. "He's right. The papers put you in the perfect position to show her off, and you can't go around as a scruffy looking stable boy. You aren't a Snape anymore, you're a Prince, and you need to dress as such."

Lucius told him that a gentleman always needed to have the proper business attire and had the shopkeep bring some suits. Juliet said once before that the lighter colors didn't really suit him and he was inclined to agree. The suit style he ended up with was a white button up shirt, with a black silk tie that had black fleur-de-lis design on it. The pattern could be seen with proper angled lighting or if one was close enough. The vest made of beautiful black silk, it too had the fleur-de-lis pattern. The black jacket and slacks were the deepest black he'd ever seen. The lapels were silk, and the pocket square was dark green, silk as well of course.

Regs gave him a formal bow as Lucius pursed his lips to fight the know it all smile and nodded at him in the reflection of the mirror from behind him. He hated dress shoes, made him of all the times his father dragged him to church on Sundays. That meant a very nice and expensive set of dragon hide boots that he could also use for potions. The shopkeep put it under his Master's bill as well and filed it under apprentice expense. On the way out he found some nice black leather gloves that he could use for riding the bike, to avoid callouses on the long rides and splinters from the crates.

He walked away with more supplies of higher quality and spending less than his mother did when they bought measly second-hand things. He barely put a dent in his summer earnings than anticipated and wanted to do something big for Juliet. After his friends left him on his own, he went off to do a bit more shopping. Wanting to show his appreciation and feelings for her he went to the jewelry store in Knockturn; the one in Diagon had more of a dull taste for his liking.

He found the perfect necklace for her. It was more of a choker, in his mind, it was the collar he wanted to wrap around her neck. It was black and looked like that of the most exquisite lace in a floral fleur-de-lis pattern. Inside each one was a small emerald, it was perfect. He wanted to get it in this pattern, the same as the tie he just bought, to remind her of Rome. Home to her and the Vatican she grew up in because he would die before he wore the sign of the cross so this was his compromise. Inside the center, one was his initials of course. He gladly paid extra for it.

* * *

A few days before they had to return to school he took her out to dinner with approval from Garrick. He knocked on the front door of the wand shop and waited for him to answer since it was after shop hours. He wore his finest new suit and had a green flower to present to Juliet. It was the dahlia, he remembered her telling him that the flowers that looked like fireworks were her favorite.

"Come in Lord Prince, how may I help you?" Garrick let him in.

"I came to call on your daughter, Lord Ollivander. May I have the honor of taking her out to dinner?" Severus said formally. He smiled and bowed when he saw her pop out from behind one of the tall shelves.

"Ah, I see. It is nice to see you come in through the front door instead of setting off my wards on the back door." Garrick smirked.

Severus paled and swallowed the ball that formed in the back of his dry throat. "Sir… I didn't-"

"Oh it's fine, I would have known if you were up to anything…  _handsy_ " he took pleasure in Severus' discomfort.

Juliet came around the counter and slapped Garrick in the arm. 'Be nice.'

"Oh alright, never let me have any fun… You may take her out to dinner. Be sure to have her home at a reasonable hour." Garrick waved his hand lazily.

Juliet jumped up and kissed Garrick on the cheek. 'Give me a bit to get ready!' the little ribbon from her wand spelled out as she ran to the stairs behind the counter.

She came back wearing the opposite colors he wore, and it made his heart and another organ jump at the sight of her. Her simple white dress that ended at her knees showed off the skin he had seen that night in Ravenclaw tower. The straps crossed in the back, and her hair was pulled up in the combs he gifted her. She wore a pair of simple sandals, it being summer made her look more comfy than formal. The silver cross hanging on her neck, resting right above the valley on her chest. He could only imagine his collar around her neck. His hand clenched at his side, that reflex he had by temper or temptation.

Garrick saw this from his side of the counter, he rolled up the catalog he was reading and thonked Severus on the nose with it. " **Hands.** " He warned.

"Yes, sir!" he snapped out of it and helped her put the flower in her hair.

* * *

He took her to the place that Lucius said his parents like to go to before his mother passed. He reserved a table on the second-floor balcony, and the owner seated them personally. To have "royalty" dine at their fine establishment was going to be great for their business. Still being underage the hardest stuff they could drink was the cider and that suited Juliet just fine.

'What classes are you planning on taking this semester?' She signed before taking a bite of her food.

"Mostly advanced potions and defense. Master Jiggers has instructed me to keep Herbology and Arithmancy. What about you?" He was enamored by the soft glow of the candles dancing across her features. He wasn't naïve to ignore the looks that other males gave her, he saw the heads turn as they walked in. Yet her eyes never strayed from him, perhaps there was a man above looking out for him.

'Up to my eyeballs in Astronomy.' She snorted.

"Why are you taking so many Astronomy classes? The stairs alone…"

She shrugged and set her fork down, she bit her lip and looked out across the city to ponder. 'I can't say that I'm not fascinated by it. It's this personal project that I took up.'

"The one you set on fire?" he mused.

She blushed and tried to hide her smile behind her napkin. 'You saw that?'

He raised a brow and pursed his lips. "All of Hogsmeade could have seen it."

She busted out in silent laughter, snorting once and cupping her hands to her face to hide. He wished briefly that she had a voice, to hear her laugh. He just knew that it would have been as beautiful as her. To listen to his name on her lips as more than just a whisper. He fought the shiver that came and sat up, he put that idea on the back burner for now.

"This project of yours, can you tell me about it?" She bit her lip and looked away. She was uncomfortable, he could see that and didn't want to ruin the night. "The Headmaster has you working on something, doesn't he? That's why he pulls you in every week?"

She nodded in affirmation and changed the topic, 'I like your suit. I haven't told you how handsome you look in it.' Her hand reached across the table and crept her hand up his sleeve. It wasn't fair, but it was honest.

When the waiter cleared their table of their empty plates, he ordered a dessert for them to share. While they waited, he took the opportunity to give her the long thin box that was burning a hole in his jacket pocket. He had been antsy about giving it to her, worried that she might not like it. Perhaps he should have gone with something more traditional.

He cleared his throat and took a sip of his cider. "I have a gift for you."

She perked up and smiled at him. 'Really?' She mouthed.

He nodded and took a deep breath. He pulled out the long velvet box and placed it in front of her where the plate should have been. "I saw it the other day… it reminded me of you."

She opened it carefully, remembering a time when she opened the pair of earrings her father gifted her some years ago. They jumped out of the box when she opened it too fast. A small gasp graced her lips, and her hand reached out to caress the black gems with green stones in their center.

"If you don't like it-"

'NO!' she mouthed immediately. 'I  _love_  it!' her hands were too busy with the box and choker to sign the words, but he knew what she was saying.

She looked up at him and smiled. 'Can I wear it now?'

He sighed in relief and returned the smile. "Here, let me help you." He stood and rounded the table to help her.

She took it carefully out of the box and handed it to him. He brought it around her neck, moving some of the loose curls on her neck out of the way. He secured the clasp and paused as she tilted her head straight back to look up at him. It gave him the perfect angle to look in her big silver eyes, see his choker on her neck and straight down the top of her dress.

He gripped the choker in his fist slightly, tightening it around her neck. Her breath hitched, her lips parted, and her tongue peeked out. She had been in this position in his dreams more often lately, except she was usually on her knees…. His other hand came out and caressed her cheek. She sighed against it and kissed his wrist. Had she a voice, he was sure it would have been a mewl.

"You're so goddamned perfect." He growled.

The waiter returned with a clearing of his voice and their dessert. Severus dropped his hands and stepped back around to take his seat. Making sure to do so carefully, not to hurt his rapidly hardening member that he hid tactfully with his napkin.

He took one of the spoons from her and clinked it to her outstretched one when she held it out. "What shall we toast to?"

She bit her lips then mouthed. 'To the future.'

* * *

When he met her at the train station no one expected a mass of Prophet reporters to swarm them. Garrick said a quick goodbye to his daughter then started on them for being on the platform without a ticket. He gave Severus a wink over his shoulder and a nod to get her out of there.

The ride was shorter than he ever remembered. Their friends barged in shortly after the train took off as usual. Her friends took to asking her a million questions about their relationship as if he wasn't there. When they started to comment on how pretty the necklace he got her was and how much it cost he tapped out. He decided it best to leave the girls to it but refused to let Juliet sit anywhere than at his side or on his lap. His friends talked Quidditch, and he put in his two cents now and then.

"Snape, why the hell haven't you tried out for the team yet?" Mulciber asked as he threw his now empty candy wrapper at him.

He batted it aside and ended up hitting Dani in the head with it. She scowled at him and gave him the bird but laughed all the same. "Never had the coin for a broom, always busy studying, hands full with a little Ravenclaw- pick one."

"I tell ya- they need all they can get this season." Mack teased Mulciber and elbowed him. He had petitioned for her over the summer, and her father approved. He told him that he didn't need to set him straight or warn him, his daughter had enough Irish fight in her he better watch out.

"He's got a point- no you bugger off, Mack- you've got the skill. Every time we play over at Malfoy's you best us all damn near on your own. I got a spare broom now that my brother got kicked out." Regs laughed evilly and rubbed his hands together much like a cartoon villain Severus saw on the telly when he was younger. "The look on his face!"

"We need a Seeker and a Chaser," Mulciber said while leaning forward.

"Ya need a miracle." Mack scoffed. Mulciber reached over and pulled the hair tie from her hair and flung it across the room. She hated having her hair down, and he knew it. "Arse!" she yelled then ran to find it.

"You could pick either really. Tell me you'll try out? Please brother?" Regs tried to use his puppy dog eyes from his seat on the floor. There were no more seats available.

Severus looked down at Juliet to get her opinion. 'Don't look at me. Quidditch isn't my thing. I'm a bigger soccer fan.'

He smirked and turned back to his friends. "I'll try out as long as you lot give a try at soccer. You'll show us won't you?"

The quickness of her response of nodding yes had them worried for a split second. "It isn't a dangerous sport is it?" Nott said worriedly.

She shrugged, and the little ribbon wrote, 'You'll just have to find out.'


	25. Chapter 25

She was nearly bouncing up and joy with excitement then she found out that Severus shared not only Herbology this semester but Defense, Charms and study period. If she had blinked she would have missed the wink that the Headmaster sent her way when the schedules were dropped off. They now had more than half the day together and she was ecstatic. Now being in her 6th year with their prerequisites out of the way they were in blended house classes based on their career paths. That meant that some, if not all the Marauders were also in their classes as well. Severus made damn sure that she was at his side and on his arm at all times.

"You'd think they would give us Herbology at the end of the day, so we don't have to smell like shite the whole day." Lucius griped as they all walked out for their first class.

"I had something smartass to say, but I really can't argue with you," Avery said as he held the door open for everyone else to pass through.

The only two classes that Severus didn't share with her was Astronomy and Ancient Runes, he had double advanced potions during that time block. At the end of the first week was the annual back to school party was being held in the dungeons this time. Since Lily had ratted out their secret location last year they had to improvise, she was blacklisted of course and had thrown a fit in the middle of lunch about it when her friends were invited and refused to tell her the location. Severus made sure that Juliet was his date, unlike last time when he watched her come in with Lockhart.

"You're going to the party with me." He said the morning of, his arm on the back of her chair in Defense class.

'Are you asking me or telling me?' She smirked and put her cheek on her palm and leaned on the desk.

"It's cute that you think you have a choice." He leaned forward and growled in her ear. He knew what it did to her.

"I'll take you to the party, Princess. Give you a chance to be seen with a gentleman." Lucius joked and dusted off nonexistent dust from his shoulders.

Before Severus' temper could flare, her wand shot out her comeback. 'Oh is your father going?'

"HAH!" Severus laughed and pointed at him.

Class started, and they began to settle down. The lecture started, and they began to take notes, her sitting on his right so she could keep her left hand on his thigh while she wrote. Halfway through class when the teacher played a slideshow of 'Vampires; Where are they now?' he leaned over and brushed his lips against her ear.

" _You are mine. No other will have you, touch you or taste you."_

She leaned into him and whispered back. " _I know that. Do they know that_?" she was referencing to other males that had given her lustful looks since she returned to school.

He moved his arm that was on the back of her chair, his hand slid from her shoulder to the back of her neck. He gripped the choker from behind and firmly, yet slowly pulled it tight in his fist and looked at her with fire in his eyes. " _You were mine long before I gave you this. But this… this shows_ _ **them**_ _I've claimed you._ _ **You belong to me.**_ _Do you understand?"_ He hissed the words not in anger but possessiveness. He wasn't sure if they were two different things right now.

The look in her eyes, the matched fire his and she licked her lips. She was pushing him; he saw that now. Testing his limits. " _Yes_." She licked her lips slowly, teasing him.

It wasn't good enough. " _Yes, what?"_  He expected her to say his name or call him a demon, not this.

" _Yes…_ _ **Sir.**_ _"_

He was at a loss for words, for the first time in his life. He if hadn't been angled slightly towards her and sat up straight he was sure that his erection would have been heard hitting the underside of the desk. He held her gaze for a few more moments before letting the choker go and returning his arm to the back of her chair.

Nott and Avery were sitting behind them, though they couldn't hear what was being whispered they had seen it all. "I thought my parent's had a fucked up relationship…" Avery muttered to Nott who nodded slowly.

* * *

The night of the party he met her outside of Ravenclaw tower. She fussed that he didn't have to leave the party being held in his own common room for her. He countered that letting his girlfriend wander the castle after hours alone was never going to happen. If she were caught sneaking around at night it better be with him. It was just after curfew and the Marauders actually helped with creating a diversion for people to make it to the party without getting caught, their only stipulation being that they too be invited this year.

He pulled her into the common room, proudly showing her off as he spun her around for all to see. She wore a small pair or jean shorts that ended just below her bottom. In his opinion they were  _very_  short. She wore a tight fitted t-shirt that had a faded AC/DC logo with a lightning bolt in the middle. Her black converse we old and worn out but she would never throw them out, they have been with her through many soccer games back home. Her cross necklace was tucked under her shirt, making his choker the only jewelry visible to everyone else. Severus wore a slim fitted V-neck grey shirt under his leather jacket, a pair of blue jeans and his dragon hide boots.

Everyone in the common room rose when they entered and bowed cordially as they were expected to. Only after both of them returned the bow did they resume whatever it was they were doing. His friends saved him a seat in one of the arm chairs by the table they normally occupied after dinner. He took a seat first, then pulled Juliet to sit across his lap. He wrapped one hand possessively around her and the other used to take the cold beers from Avery who passed them.

" **Mind your eyes, Rowle.** " He warned at his friend who was looking right at Juliet's chest.

"I'm trying to figure out that the hell is on her shirt." He said and held his hands up innocently, his beer still in his left hand.

She sat up, puffed her chest out and straightened it. Showing them the name of the band.

"Does that stand for something? From back home?" Sophie asked from her spot on Avery's lap.

She nodded and pulled her wand out. 'It's an Australian rock band.'

"Are they muggle?" Lucius asked immediately.

She tilted her head and remembered the lyrics from Thunderstruck being about the lead singer's first encounter with muggle weapons. 'No.'

"Show us then? The radio is over there." Lucius pointed to the corner where the old record player was playing some chamber music.

Severus rolled his eyes and scoffed. "We just got here, Lucius. Let us have a few beers first before we go traipsing across the castle again."

Juliet jumped up and pulled out something from one of her pockets. She enlarged it with her wand and took it out of the protective sleeve; it was a vinyl.

"I get the magic behind shrinking things, but those pockets are tiny." Severus pointed out as he looked at her backside retreating.

Rowle let out a chuckle. "It's like she was waiting for the right moment." When she set the record, she returned and waited for the first song to start up.

"Is chamber music not to your liking?" Lucius smirked as he raised his brow and his beer.

'God no. It's so dusty and old… like a funeral.' The little ribbon wrote. That caused Lucius to snort his beer out of his nose nearly.

Once the guitar riff started everyone stopped and turned to listen. Juliet was the only one getting into it at first as she thrust her fist in the air with the beat of the song.

"Yeah! That's more like it! Way to go Princess!" an already drunk Sirius called out from his spot across the room.

Regs started moving his head to the beat as well. "I can dig it. AC/DC you said?" she nodded and mouthed along to the lyrics.

"How do you even dance to something like this?" Dani asked.

Juliet jumped up and signed 'I'll show you! Come on Severus!'

He put his hands up and shook his head. "Oh no, I don't dance."

Regs jumped up and bowed, holding a hand out to her. "I'll dance with you!" He looked over to Severus to ask permission instead of her; he knew how his brother was with her.

Severus looked at Regs for a moment and gave him a curt nod. It wasn't a slow song so there shouldn't be any touching, Regs had more than made up for his previous error of touching her. Juliet ran to the middle of the room with Regs got on her heels. She showed him some side to side foot work and moving of the arms and hips. Slowly others joined in the new style of dancing and the volume of the music increased. He watched her jumping up and down, smiling and laughing with his friend. The song sang about Rock and Roll and how it wasn't detrimental to the environment or something.

Some of his friends joined in and took their dates or found a partner on the makeshift dancefloor. He was content in watching her until the next song came on that had something to go with doing things for money. He saw Regs put a hand on her hip and was there faster than Rowle had time to blink.

He tapped Regs on the shoulder and grabbed her by the waist, bringing her to him. If you asked Regs, he was forcefully removed from her persons. She smiled at him and took the two beers that Regs brought back for them and danced circles around them until he found another partner. it didn't take long, a Hufflepuff came around. She clinked his bottle with her own and tilted it back to chug it when the song told them to have a drink on her.

"That's what it took to get you to dance with me?" she whispered into his ear while laughing. He was surprised he could hear her over the music and people.

"Quiet witch."

His smirk and eyes widened at the lyrics being sung on the record player to the next song, more so at her mouthing them to him in a lustful manner. Her hands grabbed a fistful of his jacket and one of her legs between his as they moved back and forth to the fast-paced song. The song was about pouring sugar on someone and licking it off. She told him briefly that it was about a leopard that was hard of hearing, she laughed at his confused face.

"Is this how they dance where you come from?" he growled in her ear as her leg brushed against his crotch.

She thought about it for a second, in her time- yes. She nodded at him and licked her lips, his hands gripped her bottom, palming the tight fitting jeans covering them. This was the best party he had ever been to so far and she was the reason. This song was most definitely not about sugar or alcohol!


	26. Chapter 26

After a few more songs of dancing and kicking off the party, he led her back to their arm chair and gave her another beer. They were laughing and trying to catch their breath, she took her rightful spot back on his lap and kissed him.

"I like this!" A drunk Lucius yelled over the music as he followed him off the dance floor. He had just left Narcissa Black to dance with her cousin Regs.

"What else do they do back home, Ollivander?" Yaxley asked. He was sitting on an ottoman with his arm wrapped around Amelia who he had petitioned for over the summer.

Her smile grew wider and remembered last year's party with Regs challenging Lockhart, who was not present because he was sulking after the bad break up. 'How much alcohol do you have?'

"Oh no! I saw what happened last year!" he shook his head and waved a hand in dismissal.

She tucked her hands into her sides and wiggled her elbows, imitating a chicken. Severus and Rowle threw their heads back and roared with laughter.

"FINE!" he jumped up, his face red with embarrassment after being called out. "Let's do this- you and me, Ollivander!" Soon their whole group was doing the same and some of the others in the room came over to investigate.

"I want in!" Regs said and stood up to join.

A few other people in the room gathered around to join in as well. Rowle and Mulciber stood and looked down to Severus who was still sitting.

"I am the responsible one tonight; I have to see the Lady home," Severus said and put his hands up.

"The fuck you are!" Rowle said, and both of them picked him up by an elbow to stand next to Juliet.

She had enlarged one of the tables and told Regs to grab all the bottle of liquor and glasses. The ones who weren't playing were in charge of refilling them. She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled loud to get their attention.

She waved her wand, and a large ribbon came out to explain the rules. 'THIS GAME IS NOT JUST ABOUT QUANTITY- IT IS ABOUT SPEED. EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE WORD THUNDER YOU DRINK'

"Easy 'nuff." Yaxley scoffed.

She waved her wand to the record player again and a new song came on, the guitar was fast, the words slowing getting louder. She smirked at him and banged her fist on the table to the beat. She mouthed the words ' _ **THUNDER'**_  when the song sang them, then took a shot of the whiskey without flinching. Everyone around the able followed suit.

_**Thunder** _ _[x10]_

"OH FUCK ME!" Yaxley cursed after the intro and blanched at his cup getting refilled.

_I was caught  
In the middle of a railroad track (_ _**Thunder** _ _)  
I looked round  
And I knew there was no turning back (_ _**thunder** _ _)_

"CAN YOU GIVE ME A SECOND TO BREATHE?" Yaxley wheezed, his chest and throat was on fire.

"NO!" everyone yelled.

_My mind raced  
And I thought what could I do (_ _**thunder** _ _)  
And I knew  
There was no help, no help from you (_ _**thunder** _ _)  
Sound of the drums  
Beating in my heart  
The thunder of guns  
Tore me apart  
You've been  
_ __**Thunderstruck**

The song continued, half of the people who started with them dropped out halfway through. By the end of the song the only ones left were Juliet, Severus, Rowle, Mulciber, Regs, Yaxley, Mack, Remus and James. Lucius had passed out on the couch, it wasn't pretty.

"Wasn't that bad." Remus sniffed and wiped his hand on the back of his sleeve.

She waved her wand, and the song started over, she grabbed her drink and kept pounding the beat on the table.

"OH FUCK ME!" Yaxley cursed again and grabbed his drink quickly to catch up.

"When does this end? It's like a sick ride I can't off of." James said in between shots.

'Keeps going until you all drop out.' Her black ribbon read.

"Us drop out? Think again Olliv-" James was cut off by having to take another shot. He dropped out shortly after the intro and was lucky that Sirius pulled him share the ottoman he was already occupying. He had gotten drunk well before the game even started and was smart enough to stay out.

Yaxley went down next, Rowle dropped out before Regs, then it became more of a challenge between Mulciber and Mack. They agreed to stop together, but she took one more to have the one up on him and he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder to go to his dorm.

That left Juliet, Severus, and Remus. Remus and Juliet were locked in an intense stare down, and Severus thought it best just to sit down so one of them could take care of the other. He thought he could have kept going but she just restarted the song and he started to see the room spin.

"Nope. Nope. I fold, you bottomless lush!" Severus' words held no cruelty, they laughed.

"Give up Princess. Call it a drawl." Remus teased her while swaying a bit.

She knew from her time that he was a werewolf. She also knew that they had a high tolerance for alcohol and drugs.  **Garrick Ollivander didn't raise a quitter.**

'THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!' her wand spelled out. She was gripping the table with her hand now and leaning on it.

His eyes were bloodshot and his nose was runny, sweat was running down his forehead and the liquor was starting to catch up. She may have been drunk but she remembered that werewolf body temperatures were a lot higher than the average person.

She flicked her wand to the fireplace and the flame increase. It got so hot to the point the people sitting by it moved further away from it. He was wiping his face on the back of his sleeve. All she had to do was wait it out now.

Suddenly he went pale and missed a shot. She threw her hands up victoriously and swayed a bit too far back. Severus on her in a split second, he caught her and set her right again. Remus started to heave all the alcohol into the bin that was placed their for Yaxley. Everyone cheered as Severus lifted her up by the waist for a victory lap.

Remus bowed to her and took a very long fall on to the couch closest to him, not caring if anyone else was sitting on it. Severus set her down and gave her a goblet of water. She sipped it carefully, knowing that if she drank it too fast it would do more harm than help.

"How can something so tiny drink so much?" Yaxley whined from his spot on the floor. He was leaning against Amelia's legs and she was brushing her fingers through his hair.

She puffed her chest up and beat her fist to her chest with one hand and the over waving her wand. 'BECAUSE I'M AND OLLIVANDER!' At least it was meant to spell Ollivander, but in her drunk state it spelled "OLEANDER"

Severus snorted into his drink and spilled a bit on his jacket. He set his beer down and grabbed her wand and arm. "Alright Champ, it's time to get to bed."

She threw her arms around him and snogged him thoroughly in front of everyone. "But I'm not ready to leave you yet." She whispered against his lips. She was leaning heavily on him and hiccupping.

There was no way he was getting her across the castle in this state, he looked around the room at the other students who were already passed out. Most of them weren't even Slytherin and tomorrow was Saturday anyway. He could keep her there, safe where he could take care of her.

Regs and Lucius was making gesture behind her back at Severus. 'DORM' they mouthed and pointed to the stairs. Regs waved his hand to gesture to the room and pointed to himself as he mouthed. 'I got this. GO!'

He nodded and picked her up bridal style. As he walked to the stairs Rowle and Nott were humping each other in a joking manner and giving him a thumbs up. He rolled his eyes and shook his head as he took her took her to his bed, minding her head on the doorway as he walked in sideways.

* * *

He set her down and showed her to the bathroom for her to relieve herself. When the door closed behind her he looked around the room and saw the complete mess it was in, his dorm mates were a complete mess! He waved his wand around his bed mainly, knowing there was nothing to be done about the whole room. He tidied up as best he could before she returned.

He was still standing, waiting for her and smiled when she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I made the bed for you, I'll take Lucius'…. I think he's the lesser of evils in the room."

She shook her head no and started to pull him towards his bed by his neck and lips. "Stay with me."

He was being tested, he was damn sure of it. "I don't think your father-"

She cut him off with her lips and pulled him with her to lay down. He was hovering above her, holding himself from crushing her but their hips were flushed and he was certain she could feel him. "He's not here is he?"

Her lips found his neck and her hands pushed his jacket off his shoulders. He let her take the lead and threw it on the floor somewhere behind him. He should stop, he knows he should stop but damn if it didn't feel right. Her name was on his lips when her legs wrapped around him. "Juliet… my Angel…"

He was going to hell. The special place for people who knew better. The true sinners. He grabbed his wand and locked the dorm door three times and drew the curtains and warded them twice. Her hands travelled under his shirt and he bucked his hips into hers at the contact. Overwhelming was the only word he could think of other than 'too much', her hands touching more than just his hands and face. He wasn't going to last at all if she kept that up!

He opened his eyes and looked down at her. Her eyes were hooded, her lips puffed and her face flush down to her neck. She was drunk. NO. Not like this. Never like this. "We need to stop.  **STOP.** " He growled when her legs tightened around him.

She licked her lips and arched her back to press her breast against his chest. "Please."

He took a few deep breaths to calm him self and regain some control. "Angel… I'm drunk, and you're… fucking tossed." He chuckled when she pouted.

"You don't want-"

"I want to, believe me. I want nothing more than to throw your legs over my shoulders and take you in a manly fashion. Not like this. Not the first time, I will not do that to you. You deserve so much better. So much more."

"I want you  _now_." Her hips wiggled against him and she threw her head back. She lifted her shirt over her head and threw it somewhere over her head.

"Fuck me…. I'm going to hell." He moaned and bucked into her, his jeans straining. He bucked into her and started to kiss her neck. Just over her choker he sucked on her skin, leaving his mark for other to see. He moved against her at the rhythm of her gasps, dry humping her awkwardly to make some sort of friction for himself. His hands were cupping her breasts through her lacy bra, his lips and tongue quickly making their way down. Her hands were tangled in his hair, guiding him further down.

" _ **Mea Culpa**_ " he swore under his breath when he lowered the straps from her shoulders and pushed the lace down exposing her.

"Demon…" she breathed.

"You will be the end of me. Gods… NO. NO. NO." he pulled away from her and sat up on his knees. He reached down and gripped her neck, making her focus on him. "I will not do this when you are not in the right mind."

He didn't expect her to breath heavily and arch into his hands. She was the devil in the flesh! Sent to test him and send him straight to hell! She lifted his shirt and trailed her hands from his chest, down his stomach to his belt.

"Please… sir." She begged. Her breath labored.

One of her legs came up to his shoulder, he rubbed his face on the smooth skin of her calf. He grazed his teeth along it, he could smell the sweet lotion that she used earlier. It would be so easy… all alone… so willing… practically begging…

"You will beg for me. When I take you, I will have you begging for more. And I won't stop… oh no…. I won't stop until you forget who you are." He squeezed her throat and pinned her ever so slightly against the bed by it.

"Now."

"I will have you… not like this. When I do I want your mind and body clear. Free from all intoxication except that which I drive you to." He flexed his hand around her through just enough to hitch her breath. "And you will remember it the next morning." He released her and made to move from the bed.

She grabbed his hand and looked up at him with the caring eyes he was accustomed to. "Stay. At least don't leave me tonight. There are other ways to share a bed."

"Sleep." He said firmly.

She nodded and scooted to one side. "Sleep."

He laid beside her, her back to his front. He kept his clothes on but kicked his boots off. After he adjusted his jeans to where they didn't hurt him, at least to where it didn't cut off circulation, he pulled the blanket up over them and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He didn't think one could hate themselves and praise themselves at the same time until now. She fell asleep as soon as he wrapped his arms around her and she sighed his name again.

"Worst Slytherin ever…" he muttered and buried his face in her hair, following her quickly to sleep.


	27. Chapter 27

He woke up to something warm pressed against him, but that wasn't what woke him. It was the soft kisses being placed all over his face. They started along his jaw until they reached his lips. He had to be dreaming of Juliet again; he didn't want to open his eyes and ruin it. A smile played at the edge of his lips; she kissed it.

"Juliet…" he moaned. "Juliet?" he opened his eyes when he heard her breath of a laugh.

"If you had said another girl's name I would have smothered you with a pillow." She whispered.

"There will never- could never be another girl." He assured her. He winced at the sound of his voice.

"Shh… open." She whispered and out a vial to his lips.

He could smell that it was a hangover potion, he let her pour it into his mouth. If it weren't for the stampede of giants thrashing about in his head, it would have been intimate. Then she lifted another vial to his lips; another sniff told him it was a sober up quickly followed by a headache remedy.

He kept his eyes closed as he waited for them to kick in. "You're too good to me."

She snorted "Yes… taking care of you after I drank you under the table. Much too good for you."

He peeked an eye open and tried to scowl. "If you remember I had to carry you to bed."

She tapped him on the nose. "I won."

He snorted and rolled onto his back, bringing her with him. "Congratulations, you drank the entire school under the table. I stand by my words, you are a bottomless lush."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and realized she still wasn't wearing a shirt, her lacey breasts pushed against his shirtless chest. He must have thrown it off last night, he could never sleep with a shirt on. Someone else seemed to notice as well. He tried to adjust his hips away from her, but she tightened her leg around him.

She kissed his jaw and breathed in his ear. "I wouldn't have forgotten anything the next morning." She tugged on his ear with her teeth.

His eyes rolled back; he was speechless. Her hand was slowly making its way down to his belt.

**BANG BANG BANG BANG**

"Open the door, Snape!"

"We gave you lot more than enough time!"

"I gotta take a piss!"

His friends called out from the other side of the door. He reached for his wand but couldn't find it. Juliet rolled away from him and out of bed.

"Wait-" He tried to say and grab her, but she already put his shirt on.

**BANG BANG BANG BANG**

"OLLIVANDER GET YOUR ARSE OUT HERE- WE'RE LEAVING!" Dani yelled through the door.

'Time to go.' She kissed him quickly and put her shoes on.

He got up with her and tried to find something to say to get her to stay and finish what they started. Sober Severus was nowhere near as smooth as drunk Severus. "But-but- we can just silence the door."

She grabbed his leather jacket and put it on, pulling her hair out from under it then smiling at him 'I'm going to borrow this for today. I'll give it back to you at dinner.'

She walked to the door with him hot on her heels. He spun her around and pinned her to the door, desperate for her. "This isn't over. Far from over. You've started something I fully intend on finishing."

"SNAPE!"

"BUGGER OFF!" he yelled back through the door.

The smile on her face threw him off, seductive and sweet. It was too innocent. It should have been his first warning. She stood tall and kissed him, bringing a leg up to wrap around him and her hands behind his back. He moaned into her mouth but hissed suddenly when her nails dug into his back. He liked it, more than he ever thought he would.

"More." He growled.

He bucked his hips into her and wrapped his hand firmly around her neck. Her hands came around and tailed along his abs and undid his belt. His body was on fire, and he let her continue to work her hands on him. So close to her touching him where he truly wanted it.

" _Yessss."_  He hissed.

One of her hands moved away from him, and he didn't pay attention to it, she smirked against his lips. "How does it feel to beg?"

Before he could answer she had unlocked the door, pushed him back and swung it open. Everyone saw her wearing his shirt and jacket, messy hair, swollen lips and hickeys on her neck. They saw a shirtless Severus with his pants undone, messy hair and covering himself from embarrassment. He turned around and looked for something to cover himself with, to hide his tented jeans.

Nott had his hand poised to bang on the door again, and everyone froze with eyes wide and jaws dropped. Juliet pushed Nott with her hand to his chest and stepped aside him.

"Looks like Snape wasn't UP to the task eh?" Nott muttered to her in passing.

She paused and whispered to him. "He is more than up to it."

"So it's stamina then." He sniffed and smirked at her. "Not a problem some other blokes have."

"Stamina huh?" She whispered back.

Severus looked over his shoulders at the two much to close for his liking. No longer caring about his lack of clothing he stormed over, wanting to punch the flirtatious smirk off of his friends face.

"Oh yeah… I could keep going and going." Nott licked his lips.

"You'll have to show me soon." She smirked and turned down the staircase. Dani and Mack hot on her heels demanding details of what happened last night.

Nott watched her leave and gave a low whistle. The rest of his friends took three steps back with wide eyes. He yelped when Severus grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him into the dorm.

* * *

Jiggers had sent his apprentice work to Slughorn, who in turn had him working on that versus the 6th year curriculum that he knew was below Severus' level. When the walrus-like Potions Master first saw Severus at the start of the term, he slapped him on the back in congratulations of not only getting Jiggers out of his hidey hole but also landing him a sweet bird. It took Severus the end of class to realize that he meant Juliet as the bird.

By the third week of classes, Slughorn had started his little club of favorites for 6th years and up. With his invitation, it was made clear that it was intended for Juliet and he was the plus one. Arsehole. When he told Juliet, he was dead sure that she would join him in his distaste for such things, but the female perked up at the chance to wear a pretty dress and cute heels. When she whispered the details of the leggings and garter belt, he was entirely on board.

"You're absolutely right. It would be rude to refuse such a generous invitation and a waste of an outfit." He agreed and couldn't keep the smile from his face when she snorted.

Since the party, things had gone back to normal between them. Severus had gotten a lot more possessive and greedy with her. They hadn't talked about what happened that night or the morning after the party, but she seemed to forget it all together. It drove him insane. He wanted her physically to the point where he was starting to get chaffed from handling matters with his own hand.

The second week of October brought the winds and Quidditch season. Of course, his friends were on him about trying out for the team since they lost two players to graduation. He told them he would try out as long as they would give soccer a try and Juliet would show them how. That is exactly what she planned to do after she owled her father to get some things she needed.

* * *

One Sunday morning Juliet came into the Great Hall with a large netted bag with five soccer balls slung over her shoulder. She walked right up to the Slytherin table and dropped the bag onto it, sending things flying or spilling all over. She wore her hair in a high ponytail, those short grey shorts she had on the night they came to her dorm, a soccer jersey and those converse she loved with knee-high black socks.

The jersey could have easily been mistaken for a Gryffindor quidditch one, it was bright red with gold letters on the front in big writing that said 'ROMA' and slightly smaller under that it had the year '1927'. The image on the front sported a large grey female wolf with two babies suckling from her on the front and 'OLLIVANDER' on the back with the large number 2. Her father had bought the jersey custom made from her when she was younger and lived in Rome.

"I wasn't hungry…" Lucius said sarcastically as his breakfast plate got crushed by her bag.

'Get up, we're playing soccer.' Her wand waved.

"You were serious about that?" Regs laughed. He stood when he saw her arms cross and her brow lift for him to challenge her.

"Alright Ollivander, we'll amuse you for now. If it will get Snape on the team." Mulciber chuckled and stood as well.

Severus got up and kissed her on the cheek and whispered something in her ear as their friends got ready to leave. She laughed and pushed him a little.

"OI! Snape! I heard of a man's bollocks in your purse, but this is just sad." Peter yelled from the door of the Great Hall. Everyone laughed and pointed.

Before he could retort she grabbed her bag, and they all followed her. She reached Peter and his friends her wand moved quickly. 'It is, isn't it? Severus' are so big I have to use this huge bag and sling them over my shoulder! Poor guy… haven't you noticed he walks with a limp?'

People surrounding them broke out with laughter, even Remus who was elbowed by Sirius who was fighting a smile. Rowle pushed Peter out of the way and kept them all walking out towards the Quidditch pitch. "Move it pest."

Severus put his arm around her shoulder and started to walk with a mock limp. The hall busted out with even more prominent laughter, Flitwick and Sprout could be seen trying to hide their red laughing faces behind their napkins.

* * *

When they got to the Quidditch pitch, she dumped all the balls out of the bag and picked one up. They all stood in a weird circle, and the girls sat on the bleachers as they watched. She waved her wand at the little box that fell out of the bag, and they saw two netted goals enlarge and fly on either end of the pitch.

'This is a soccer ball. Your job is to get this ball into that goal and keep it out of your own. Similar to Quidditch. Lucius, you are the keeper for your side. Keep the ball out of the goal. Pretty simple. The rest of you- it's your job to keep me from getting the ball into that goal and to get it into my goal. Easy?' she waved her wand, and the words appeared bigger than they ever seen before in above her.

"Just like quidditch. Got it." Rowle nodded.

'YOU CANNOT USE YOUR HANDS!' she looked at Lucius and pointed to him. 'Only you can use your hands as goalkeeper.'

"How the hell are we supposed to carry it all the way over there then?" Nott complained.

She dropped the ball to her feet and kicked it around a bit. Severus narrowed his eyes at her and knew she was hiding something. He'd seen that sweet smile before and didn't trust her as far as he could throw Rowle.

"So who's on what team?" Regs asked as he looked around.

'Just you guys vs. me.'

They started to laugh. Nott held his hands up. "Listen here Little Ravenclaw, I think-"

'I thought you were going to show me your  _stamina_ , Nott.' she waved her wand then put her hands on her hips.

"Oh, you're gonna get it." He scowled as the girls on the bench laughed at him.

They all stood awkwardly in a line in front of her on the center of the field. Some other students came out to watch and Minerva, Albus, and Flitwick. Juliet stood in front of them all with the ball between her feet and a smirk on her face.

She lifted her hand to Nott and wiggled a finger for him to step forward. 'Try to get the ball.'

He scoffed and looked back at his friends who said nothing. He stepped forward and made an attempt to kick the ball from between her feet. She kicked the ball to the side and with the other foot kicked it in the air and hit him in the head.

"HAH!" Severus called out from his position.

His face was red with embarrassment, and she had the ball between her feet again. 'Come on' she mouthed, teasing him.

He lunged again, and she kicked it between his feet and ran around him, making her way towards the other boys. They were stunned for a second before they realized they were supposed to do something. Mulciber rushed towards her, ready to kick the ball away from in front of her.

"I got her! I got her!"

He didn't. She kicked the ball up and hit it with her knee, twirling around him and pushing him to the right. Her foot tripping him as she did so, sending the much larger boy to the grass. She caught up with the ball and was making a straight line Lucius. Nott was hot on her heels, and Severus was running up on her left.

The other boys were standing between her and the netted goal. She looked over her shoulder and suddenly dropped to the ground with the ball lying by her head. Nott and Severus jumped to avoid trampling her but collided in mid-air.

"Oof!" they both moaned as the air was knocked out of their lungs.

Severus' shoulder met his chest, but Nott's knee hit his stomach.

"She played us, mate. She bloody played us." Nott moaned from the grass next to him.

"I know. I fucking know." He said while on his hands and knees trying to catch his breath.

She got up and continued to run, kicking the ball casually along. She was all over the field, dodging, tucking and running. She was toying with them until she got bored and finally kicked the ball passed Lucius who dove for it and missed. Mack held up her wand, and a giant scoreboard appeared above the girls.

**JULIET 1**

**SLYTHERIN 0**

They started back at the center of the field and Regs came up to meet her this time. They thought that the smaller boy would be as agile as her and have a chance. They were ready this time, the ones wearing robes took them off, and some of them took off their shirts.

She started to kick the ball up in the air while looking at him, not breaking their gaze as she juggled the ball with her feet. She was showing off in front of him.

"Don't let her intimidate you! Get in there!" Severus called out from down the field.

"You get up here then!" Regs yelled back.

"You got this!" Severus said quickly.

Regs tried the more physical approach and went to tackle her. She trapped the ball between them, belly to ball to belly. 'No hands.' She mouthed with a smile. She pivoted them so now she was on his side of the field. He was confused and thought the ball couldn't touch the floor now.

"What the-"

She stepped back, let the ball drop, his eyes followed it. She hit it with her knee and the ball the came up and hit his nose. His head shot back, and he cupped his nose with both hands. Minerva could be heard cackling from her seat.

Juliet took off again down the field and spun around two of them, slid between Severus' legs and tripped Avery. Rowle seemed to think that his sheer size would stop her from getting past him. His knees were bent and his hands at his sides, waiting for the direction she was going to lunge in.

She kicked the ball up high and rushed forward, when it came down she hit it with her head past him into the goal.

He dropped his hands and stood up straight. "What the hell? You said feet only."

She shook her finger at him 'I said no hands.'

They kept playing the whole day, soon all the boys had their shirts off and were sweaty. Juliet had tied her soccer jersey right under her breasts, she too was sweating but not showing any sign of slowing down.

**JULIET 30**

**SLYTHERIN 0**

"Can we take a break? My sides are killing me." Nott said as he had one hand on his ribs and the other on his knee.

"Where's your stamina now?" Severus said sarcastically as he spit in his general direction. He too had his hands on his knees and was sweating. He pushed his sweaty hair from his face and winked at Juliet.

After she kicked the ball and scored after bouncing it off Severus and Yaxley's head, they called it quits. They were tired, sore and starving. Juliet was looking smug, and her friends were cheering her name. Even the Professors were clapping at the show she had put on for everyone and headed back to the castle.

Severus came up and hugged her, rubbing his sweaty body all over her as she tried to escape him. 'You were very distracting out there.' She signed and looked at his sweat toned muscles.

"Yes… my grass covered ass must have been very eye-catching." He said sarcastically as he put his shirt back on.

"I'm sore in muscles I didn't know I had." Regs winced as he limped towards the castle.

"We should do this more often, Ollivander. It was fun. Maybe we can do this for quidditch exercises." Mulciber suggested to them.

"Yes, concussions are tons of fun. Can't wait." Avery said sarcastically as Sophie held an ice pack to his head.

"Snape, don't bother trying out to Quidditch." Mulciber laughed.

"What- don't want me anymore because my girlfriend kicked your arse in a muggle game?" he shot back.

"No, he's saying you don't have to try out. You're on the team. We saw you move out there on your feet." Regs rolled his eyes then pointed to Juliet. "And if you can keep up with that crazy little thing then you can keep up with a snitch or quaffle."

Severus was about to open his mouth and make a joke about stamina to Nott, but he was given the finger in passing as he too limped towards the castle.


	28. Chapter 28

They shared charms class with each other, Yaxley, Lucius and Rowle were with them as well. Today they were going over how to make the Bubble-Head charm for underwater breathing. They were practicing spells instead of having a lecture. Yesterday they went through the spell and the wand movements as well as the theory. Rowle scoffed and said the method was not drowning when you fell in the tub, it caused the class to laugh of course. He got five points taken from Slytherin for speaking out of turn in class and disrupting.

"Today we will be practicing the Bubble-Head charm! Everyone will have to pair up! I want you to practice with your partner first before yourself. Remember to use Finite Incantatem to cancel the charm!" Flitwick instructed and waved his wand. The desks moved to the side of the room and all of their personal belongings.

Usually, when they had to pair up, Severus and Juliet got to stay together, and one of the other three had to find someone else. Today Flitwick split the room in half down the middle and Juliet was paired with Remus. Severus tried to argue with the small teacher but was deducted 5 points for undermining authority. He watched Juliet and Remus cautiously eye each other with their wands drawn. He didn't think the Gryffindor was stupid enough to try anything with him and Flitwick in the room, but he kept an eye on him all the same.

"Remember the spell and the wand movement!  _Respirare Abyssi!"_ Flitwick said as he paced up and down the room.

Severus turned to Yaxley who was his partner and took his wand out. He let his friend go first to practice on him so he could watch Juliet.

"Same time then?" Remus asked Juliet who nodded and they both stopped circling. They pointed their wands out slowly, and he counted. "On three. One… two… three!"

The right color of spell came out, but it was all wrong. At first, nothing happened, and they looked down at themselves then each other. Juliet noticed it. First, she pointed to his head then made a circle with her hand then expanded it. He pointed to hers as well. Both of their heads were quickly getting bigger and bigger by the second. Instead of panicking both of them started laughing so hard they lost balance. Their heads hit each other due to the weight being too much for their necks.

Flitwick was on them quick, canceling the spells and their heads safely shrinking down to standard size quickly. He scolded them on proper wand movement, and verbiage then left them to it. Severus nearly had a panic attack and rushed over, but their Professor beat him to it. Yaxley's spell caught him off guard, and he fell on his ass. The spell was correct, but the force of it was too hard.

"Sorry, Snape." He said and helped him up.

Juliet and Remus waited for Flitwick to walk far enough away before they huddled together and whispered back and forth while giggling. Juliet pulled out a parchment, quill, and book from her bag and they went to one of the desktops to look it over. Severus nearly snapped his own wand watching them whisper so close together, he couldn't hear what they were saying, but he didn't like it.

"No no… it was too heavy remember? We need lighter." Remus shook his head and flipped through the charms book.

She shook her head and started to draw something in the corner of the page. It was a balloon floating in the clouds. 'Muggle balloons use helium, we don't need lighter- we need floating.' She scribbled on it quickly.

"Of course! You're a genius!" he whispered back.

They stood a few paces from each other again, and she took her wand out. 'You first.' She mouthed, and he nodded.

Remus had his hands out to his side and stood as still as he could. She cast the new spell of a different color, and his head got bigger once more, as soon as it hit a certain size his feet started to lift off the ground.

"Yes! You did it, Juliet!" he laughed as started to kick his legs higher.

Everyone in class stopped and laughed as they watched him go up like a hot air balloon. Juliet looked around to make sure that Flitwick wasn't watching and she jumped up and grabbed him by the leg and brought him back down then canceled the spell. Both of them high fived and went back to whatever they were writing on that piece of paper.

Soon they were sitting at the desk and leaning over to each other to whisper things back and forth. Severus sent his spell at Yaxley and didn't stop to look at his work. The bubble appeared around his head but there was no oxygen in it for him to breath, he clawed at the bubble and tried to gasp for air.

"Mr. Snape you need to remember the wand movement for air!" Flitwick scolded.

Severus looked back at his friend who was turning different colors. "Oh shit, sorry mate." He said and rushed forward to cancel the spell and help Yaxley.

 _I know.-_ Juliet wrote on the paper.

 _Know what?-_ Remus replied.

_That you're a werewolf-_

Remus grabbed the paper and crumpled it then shredded it and set it on fire. He panicked and looked around to make sure that no one else read it. She put her hand on his and shh'd him to calm him down.

"How do you know?" he hissed.

Her hands came up to sign it, but he grabbed her hands and put them down. "I can hear you." He said and pointed to his ear. He had heightened senses and hearing her whisper clear as day from across the room was a perk he never told anyone.

"The scars, you leave school every lunar phase, you only eat rare red meat, your pupils are huge. Your name in Latin is the wolf. Your full name being wolf wolf-" she rolled her eyes.

" **Alright.** " He slammed his fist on the desk, but it didn't scare her. He looked around the room over his shoulder and leaned forward more. "What do you want? Expect me to buy your silence?"

"I want you to know that it's going to be alright. That I don't care about it and in a few years things will change for you." She whispered and rubbed her thumb on the back of his hand.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? What are you playing at?" he scowled.

"I'm not playing at anything. I can see your pain- hell I'm surprised your friends can't and haven't figured it out. They don't know do they?" she asked.

His face said it all, and he couldn't look at her. He tried to pull his hand away from her, but she wouldn't let it go. "They wouldn't be my friends anymore if they knew…"

"You're wrong. I may only know the one side of you, but I know they are good friends. You're a jerk. You were mean to me when I first got here, and you're still sometimes are a jerk. But I see past all of that, I see deep down that you are a good person. COULD be a good person." She whispered and pulled her hand away from him. She knew of the Remus in her time, risking his life in the final battle and dying with his wife leaving his son orphaned.

"You won't tell?" his eyes were pleading with her. "Not even your boyfriend?"

"No. I won't tell anyone. I swear. But you need to tell your friends before they figure it out."

"And when they hate me and don't want to be my friends anymore?"

"Then you still have me." She smiled at him and held her hands out to display herself. She wiggled her brows at him.

He snorted, "What do you mean? YOU'LL be my friend?"

"Yep." She smiled even wider.

Severus was grinding his teeth as he watched them flirt back and forth. He couldn't do anything with Flitwick standing right beside him showing him how to do the spell correctly.

"After everything?" he asked seriously.

"First impressions aren't everything."

"Look. Ollivander-"

"Juliet." She corrected.

"Juliet… I'm sorry. I was a right bastard and don't deserve your kindness let alone friendship. I'll back off and have the guys do the same. I can't promise anything for Snape though." He said and held his hand out to shake.

She took it and smiled. "Besides… you need me if you ever want a shot at talking to Dani." She whispered smugly.

He perked up and leaned forward. "Are you a fucking psychic?"

"No. I'm a girl, dumbass… and I'm a Ravenclaw. Not that fucking hard." She rolled her eyes and tapped her finger to her temple.

He ran a hand through his hair and looked around the room before asking. "Did she say anything about me?" he couldn't keep the smile from his face.

After class, Severus pulled her away from Remus roughly. "Keep your hands off." He growled. His friends were right behind him, ready to make a move if Remus tried anything.

Remus put his hands up in surrender then grabbed his bag. "She's not your bloody property."

Juliet tried to hold Severus back. " **She belongs to me.** " He pushed Remus hard in the chest with one hand. "You brought this war on- you keep your fucking hands off of her."

Remus stepped forward again, shoving his chest against Severus'. "What if I don't want to? Huh?"

"You will see the face of war." He spat in his face.

His friends put themselves between them and Juliet, blocking her from interfering and getting hurt.

"What if she  _wants_  me to touch her? Hmm?" he was taunting him, and it was working.

Severus' face turned red, and his hands clenched at his side, he hadn't considered that, and he would deal with that separately. His friends stepped forward and drew their wands.

Remus looked at her and back to Severus. "Whatever. I'll see you later Juliet." He took a few steps back and walked down the corridor.

"No, she won't," Severus said and watched him walk off.

'That wasn't nice.' She signed to him.

" _Nice?!_ " Severus couldn't believe her!

"We'll see you guys later. Come on." Rowle said and left the bickering couple in the hallway.

Severus grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into one of the empty classrooms a few doors down. He threw her inside and slammed the door shut behind him after he warded and silence anyone from hearing them, well him mainly.

"What the fuck was that?" His hands were in fists at his side and nearly shaking.

'We were just talking!' she signed and met his temper.

"That looked a hell of a lot more than just " _talking."_ He was all over you!" he spat and pointed in a general direction of where Remus might be in the castle.

She rolled her eyes, it only angered him further. 'What do you mean all over me? You're acting as if he and I were kissing! We were just talking!'

"His eyes were all over you-" he dropped that point immediately when he realized he wasn't going to get anywhere with it. He moved to his next point. "He's a fucking Marauder! He's hurt you, he's hurt me!"

'He apologized to me and wants to be friends.'

"Oh and all of a sudden? What did he say? 'Sorry I blew up your cauldron last year, and pushing you down the stairs, oh and sorry for hexing you in the halls- all good though?' You think that's all he wants?" he had his hand up mimicking Remus' mouth like a puppet without the sock. She nearly laughed, but she didn't dare.

'It wasn't like that.'

"And you were cuddling up with him and whispering!"

'I don't have a voice!' She snapped back. He opened his mouth to say something, but she held up a finger and gave him a look that told him to shut up.

'I was the one who wanted to be friends. Just friends- nothing more.'

He was on her before she could finish explaining. He pinned her to the wall behind her, next to one of the windows overlooking the forest. His hand around her throat and his nose touching hers. "I watched you touch him. I saw it with my own eyes."

"It was nothing like how I touch you." She breathed. She wasn't afraid, she would never be scared of him, but she knew when to submit. She stayed still and didn't fight back.

"I don't care. I don't want you touching him- or anyone else for that matter. You are mine and only mine. In body, soul and holy fucking spirit- whatever you need to hear to understand that no one else can have you. No one can touch you, and you cannot touch anyone else or so fucking help me I will fucking kill them." He crushed his lips to hers and moved his hand from her throat into her hair, pulling her to him.

He pulled back after a few more moments of her sucking on his tongue and lips. "Do you understand me? You are not to touch or be touched by anyone else."

"What about-"

" **ANYONE!** " He roared and slammed his hand on the wall beside her head.

"Yes, Sir." She didn't flinch.

He was breathing fast and heavy, he couldn't calm down even though he needed to. He released her but didn't step away. Her hands came up to caress his face, she paused to see his reaction. He nudged her hand slightly for her to continue. She kissed his chin, then his cheek and his eyes closed.

"I don't want anyone but you, demon. I've only ever wanted you."

She spent the next two hours calming him down and reassuring him that she didn't want to leave him. He closed his eyes to her touch and whispers, taking in her warmth and affection. Their kissed were intense, yet it wasn't enough for him. He didn't know how to show or say what he wanted. That he needed more of her.


	29. Chapter 29

The Slytherins all gathered in the 6th year dorm room for a mini-lecture. Since Severus had asked Regs what and how to start intimacy with his girlfriend, Regs told Mulciber, who told Rowle, who told Avery and it got out of hand. So now Regs was holding a meeting that included all of them and a chalkboard he stole from an empty classroom. They were sitting on the bed facing the back wall he had taken over with drawings and writing on the board. Severus had never felt so embarrassed in his life, no one seemed to care since they were in the same boat.

"What if she's not ready?" Severus asked.

"For the last time you don't have to raise your hand, just don't interrupt me." Regs rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "That's the whole point of this- to A- make her ready and B- know when she is. Haven't you been listening?"

"That's not what he's asking. Severus- if she still isn't ready for whatever reason then you have to respect that. Always put her needs before yours. Always." Lucius turned around to look at him as he spoke. "A gentleman never pushed a lady into something she isn't ready for."

Severus nodded in understanding. "What if I'm not ready?"

"Your cock work? Then you're ready." Nott snorted.

Regs rolled his eyes dramatically. "Moving on… next up is cock placement."

"Whoa hold the floo. I know what to do when I get there. There's only one place for my cock to go." Avery interrupted.

Regs laughed while throwing his head back and pointing at him. "Then you have no idea. You innocent little snake. Look, I'm the one teaching you guys because I'm the one with the most experience- from both sexes and I'm the youngest, I might add."

"Question I've wanted to ask for a long time now… why Lockhart? Of all people-  _Lockhart?!"_  Yaxley asked.

"Jealous?" he laughed at his friend trying to recover. "Two things. Bubble butt and no gag reflex."

"Alright, I'm gonna be sick. I'm going to put that on the list of things I didn't need to know about Lockhart." Lucius gagged and tried to shake the image from his mind.

Regs tucked his wand away then pointed to his crotch. "I was talking about here you lean your cock. Where and how you tuck, it will make all the difference in the world. Believe me, I've gotten laid so many times just because they liked the size or the package."

"Not gay if I look at his crotch right?" Rowle asked Avery who shook his head.

"That doesn't make any sense, what's the tuck for?" Yaxley asked and tilted his head.

"Gives them a little sneak peak of what they could have. Believe me- it matters. I have to listen to my cousins talk about it over the summers." Regs said and sneered at the memory.

"Did Narcissa say anything about me?" Lucius asked hopefully.

"She said you are young but have potential. Stop sidetracking! Snape! What direction do you tuck your cock?" Regs asked as he pointed to him.

He didn't like to be put on the spot especially on a topic he knew little to nothing about. "Uh… up."

"Up your arse?!" Nott asked with mild humor and mild disbelief.

"I didn't know up was a fucking option!" Yaxley exclaimed.

"Ever since second year when Black and Potter kept hitting me in the dick. I started tucking up since. You get hit there so many times before you take drastic measures. It's not like I can wear a cup all the time!" Severus defended himself.

Regs winced slightly and covered his hand over his crotch. "I remember that. They got me too, but anyway it's time to change that! Stand up- which is your wand hand? Right? Okay, tuck your cock down the right."

Everyone stood up and started to adjust themselves.

"There's so much more room now!" Rowle said and started to do leg stretched and lunges by his bed.

"Can you still run? Aw yeah!" Yaxley laughed and started to run in place.

"Not towards the pocket, down the leg." Regs instructed.

"Like this?" Severus asked and looked down at himself.

Regs stared to stutter. "Wh- what the- the fuck?! You got a sock down there?!"

"What? No! Should I?" Severus self consciously covered himself.

"You got a stiffy right now?" Nott asked as he leaned away.

"What- No! This is my normal… you know whatever." He said quickly.

"That's your dick? That whole thing is your dick?" Nott asked as he eyed him wearily.

"No fucking way," Avery said in disbelief. Avery's bed was right behind Severus' he reached over quickly and pulled his pants and boxers down to his knees. His eyes bulged, and he threw his hands up while jumping away from Severus. "Ahh!"

Severus' face turned bright red as he picked his pants back up and tucked himself away. They had lived together for six years now, had open showers and urinals but they never openly looked at each other.

"I fucking give up! How can I compete with a flaccid six incher?!" Yaxley pulled the rolled up sock from his trousers and threw it hard on the ground.

"I'll be damned… Snape's mug is ugly as shit, but he's blessed with a cock from the gods." Mulciber howled with laughter as he pointed at him.

"Stop- you're making him feel bad." Lucius defended his best friend.

Regs whistled loud to get them to settle down. "Snape- this is good. This is great actually! Every guy out there wants to have a big cock. The bigger, the better, the most the best so the saying goes."

Severus scowled at all of them, the red flush in his face still bright. "Well, what now? Tuck to the side and then?"

"Hit her over the head with it and carry her to bed." Mulciber punched his fist in imitation.

"For you? Nothing. Your cock will do all the work." Regs laughed so hard he had to grab one of the bedposts to stay standing upright. "Seriously I could spot that fucker from fifty yards."

"Great and what about the rest of us?" Avery asked sarcastically with his arms crossed.

Regs cleared his throat and wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. "Ahem. You make sure she sees it. Don't worry they will. If she's sitting down make sure they're cock level like this."

Nott was closest, and he was sitting on his bed. Regs walked up to him and grabbed his head and brought it close to his crotch. He smacked him away and jumped back. "Get your dick out of my face!"


	30. Chapter 30

Remus shared advanced Astronomy AND Ancient Runes with Juliet while Severus was in double, advanced Potions. While Severus shared more than half her day, Remus shared the other half with her and Severus didn't know this and Juliet didn't think it mattered. He told her not to touch or be touched, and that was just what she did. In this class, they could pair up and speak quietly yet freely, and he greatly appreciated having her as a friend. She found out that he was actually brilliant and wasn't that big of a Quidditch fan. He made her swear she wouldn't tell his friends.

She talked to him about his lycanthropy and found out that it was the reason he was in astronomy. He was trying to find some way to control his monthly changes but knew there was a good chance he would come to a dead end. She wanted to tell him so bad that a potion called Wolfsbane would be released in a few short years time. She couldn't give any information about the future, or even tell anyone about her Albus forced trip into the past. Garrick made it very clear to her that in times like these with Voldemort rising to power if word got out it could and would put a target on her head.

"So this personal project you're working on, made any ground on it yet?" he asked her towards the end of class when the teacher let them speak freely until the bell rang.

Juliet sighed and rolled her eyes.

"That bad huh? You want any help with it; give it a fresh set of eyes?" He scratched at the skin just above his school collar much like that of a hound. Craning his head to the side and swiping at it as if his fingers couldn't bend.

"You look like an adorable puppy when you do that, ya know?" she smirked and tilted her head to the side to meet his equal gaze.

He stopped immediately and sat up straight, he awkwardly cleared his throat. "Ahem. Do you want help or not?"

She thought about it before actually, asking him for help. There was no way she was going to ask Regs, he could never keep his mind straight on a task at hand, and his brother was no better. As long as he just helped her with the charts, then she could do the rest. "Yes please."

When the bell rang, they both got up and headed to Ancient Runes next, their next shared class. He made sure to open the doors for her and let her pass, though they were nothing more than friends it was still the social protocol for both of them.

* * *

After Charms class was where Severus thoroughly kissed his girlfriend goodbye and rushed down to his Double Potions. Juliet went to Astronomy then Ancient Runes with Remus. In Charms, Juliet and Remus shared a few glances and a quick smile, but Severus made sure to keep himself between them. It was when Severus was on his way to the dungeons when he overheard the three remaining Marauders speak of his girlfriend.

Neither of Juliet or Remus noticing, nor caring that Peter was watching them very closely. After Remus had told them all to lay off of her and put her on the off-limits number one list, they had all gotten suspicious. Remus had told them that they were just friends, but seeing them so close together and whispering all the time had them thinking that Remus had a crush on the little Ravenclaw.

It's not as if Juliet was going behind Severus' back with hiding their friendship. If that were the case, they wouldn't talk at all in the public of the corridors. Severus told her no touching, and she made sure of that, he never told her she couldn't be friends with Remus.

The Marauders thought, her father forbid their bloodlines from ever joining houses but what daughter couldn't bat her lashes and beg her father if she truly wanted? Sirius thought it was hilarious and supported it entirely even though Remus had tried to correct him on several occasions. James thought it was downright disgusting and chose to turn his back on the topic of Juliet, it had left a bad taste in his mouth when he thought of his last drinking session of her. Yet all three agreed that stealing the girl from Severus was an excellent idea, no matter how much Remus protested that nothing was going on between them.

You don't want Snivellus sloppy seconds, James had told him then commented no more. Peter had fully intended to use this to his advantage, prove his worth and carry his own weight as a Marauder. He kept a watchful eye on both of them and made sure to let Severus know all about their hushed private sessions.

"You hear about Ollivander?" Peter asked right on time.

"I really don't care what that bit-" James started to say. Severus nearly hexed him then but kept walking, Juliet made him promise not to go looking for trouble.

"Moony and her have been studying together, caught them whispering behind the stairs to the Astronomy Tower," Peter said loudly without looking over his shoulder. He knew he had the Slytherin's full attention.

Sirius rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Well, they share the same class, don't they? What's it matter to you?"

The same class?! She never told him that Remus was in the class after Charms as well! Severus turned the corner but stopped and put his back to the wall. Sick curiosity got the better of him.

"Yeah but I think it's cuz they're snogging in between classes." Peter snickered.

"So what Wormtail? Let him deal with her daddy's wrath." James said and shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh little Peter is jealous is he?" Sirius teased and poked Peter in the stomach twice. "Get your own bird, mate. He told us to lay off her remember? She's off limits. She's under his protection, and you can't touch her."

Protection? That bloody scarface is  _protecting_ her?! That was his job, no one else's and the fact that he was protecting her because they were…. They were  _snogging?!_  Severus didn't go to Potions that day, oh no. He waited outside of the Astronomy tower to catch the little shit who was sniffing his property. He would deal with her later after he killed the sandy-haired bastard.

* * *

The bell rang, and he waited around the corner, watching as the crowd of students rushed about. He knew neither would expect to find him there, she knew full well where he should be during this time. He watched her walk down the stairs holding all of her charts and bag, Remus walking beside her holding his own charts. They weren't touching, it eased his troubled mind somewhat.

He watched her speak to Remus without sign language as if she had a voice. That was very confusing to him, but what made his blood boil was Remus lean in closer to whisper back to her. Both were shaking their head no to something in disagreement as they walked upon the corner he was leaning against. Neither of them seeing Severus as they headed to Ancient Runes.

Severus' hand shot out and grabbed Juliet, pulling her to him and making her drop her charts. She gasped in surprise at being suddenly manhandled but her eyes got wide at the sight of him. Then a smile broke out on her face, it wasn't the face of someone who had just gotten caught doing something. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him as if she hadn't seen him merely an hour ago.

Remus jumped at her sudden movement and turned to help her, thinking she had tripped. Seeing Severus, he nodded his head and bent down to pick up her dropped charts. "Here, before they get trampled." he held them out for her.

Severus snatched them from Remus, making sure to keep the eye contact. "The Lady doesn't need your  _help_."

Remus scowled and chose not to take the bait for Juliet's sake. Juliet ignored the exchange and brought Severus' gaze back down to her by caressing his cheek. "Are you hurt? What happened in Potions?"

His gaze softened when he looked down at her caring eyes. He shook his head, "No. I just wanted to walk you to class." He lied.

She smiled at him and leaned in to press her lips to his. "I missed you too. The bell will ring soon if we don't hurry." She pulled back and grabbed his hand, turning towards the direction of Ancient Runes.

Remus nodded his head in agreement and waited for them to follow him. Severus pulled her back to him, "On second thought I don't want to leave you. Come with me."

She turned and gave him a concerned look, his eyes were pleading with her. Something was bothering him, and she knew he needed her. She squeezed his hand and nodded, then turned to tell Remus.

He held his hand up for her not to bother, he heard. "Go on, I'll tell the Professor you were called into the Headmasters again. But you owe me next time." He smirked at her then hurried to the class before the second bell rang.

She chose Severus, and that meant the world to him. That she didn't hesitate to drop everything else and follow him merely because he asked. Technically he didn't ask, but the fact that she didn't question, argue or complain about it made his heart soar. Screw Peter and his stupid little conspiracies.

* * *

Severus pulled her along with him down the corridor and headed to an empty classroom. He made sure to make it quick and quiet so they wouldn't be caught loitering the halls during class time. After he locked and warded the door behind them, he turned to see her drop her bag and charts on to one of the desks in the unused room.

He came up behind her and pulled her flush to him, back to his front. He buried his face in her hair and neck, breathing in her scent deeply. He felt her relax in his arms and tilt her head to the side. He didn't want to start another fight with her, but he did want her to remember exactly who he was.

"Tell me who you belong to." He rumbled into her ear.

"You." She sighed.

He kissed her neck, grazing his teeth on her skin as he squeezed his arms around her tighter. "Tell me who can touch you."

"You." He could hear the smile in her whisper.

His right hand came up and slowly slid around her neck. "Has anyone touched you?"

"No."

"No  _what_?"

"No Demon."

"That's my good Angel." He would have accepted her calling him Sir as well, but Demon was her endearment for him, and it melted the ice around his heart. He spun her around and gave her a proper kiss, rewarding her with his gentle touch.

The rest of their time was spent with her giving him her full attention. She transfigured her robe into a comfy blanket for the floor and his into a pillow. She sat on the floor with the pillow and his head in her lap, rubbing his shoulders and caressing his face.

He leaned into her touch and accepted all of her affection openly. From her fingers running through his hair to her soft kisses along his face. She rubbed the worry lines and scowl away with her soft hands, making his headache go away.


	31. Chapter 31

He had made damn sure that she wanted no one else but him. He would leave her breathless with his kisses, her lips swollen and his mark on her neck. He knew she was waiting for him in the Library during the study period. After he left Double Potions, he went to his dorm to get rid of his outer robe, making sure to tuck his cock down the right pant leg just like Regs had shown him. He rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and loosened his tie, then undid the top two buttons of his school shirt.

He grabbed his Advanced Potions book and hurried to the Library. She was sitting by herself closer to the shelves, they no longer went to their window in the back since the Lily fiasco. He slowly stalked up the row of desks towards her and walked up behind her. She was working on a Defense essay he had finished earlier that day. He saw her pause her writing and refer back to the book twice, unsure about something.

He stopped on the right side of her table, near her book with his crotch just above the height of the desktop. "Do you need help, Angel?" he said softly.

Her eyes shot up, and she smiled at him. 'I can't figure out the difference between the British duel stance and the Spanish one.

"It's all in the hips. The footwork and shoulders are the same for both, but the British square their hips to face the opponent." He stood straight and took the stance. "The Spanish version… they turn their hips opposite the wand hand."

Her eyes traveled down to his hips that were now facing her, seeing the defining bulge in his otherwise flat fabric. Her eyes widened a bit, and she stopped listening to him altogether. He turned his hips between stances once more.

"Got it?" he asked, smirking at the fact that his friend was right about this. Regs had told him girls were sly with their gazes, but Juliet was blatantly staring.

She shook herself out of it and looked up at him. "What?"

He chuckled and stepped closer to the table, he turned her pages and pointed to the drawing in the book. "See his hips? There. He has them twisted."

She wasn't looking at the book at all. Her eyes traveled past his hand and were staring at the front of his pants. "God damn." She muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"What?"

"You said something." He was getting turned on by her eyeing him so longingly, his cock twitched.

"Thirsty." She muttered, still hadn't taken her eyes off of it.

"Would you like me to get you something to drink?"

She licked her lips. Still mumbling to herself, "You're a tall glass of water."

"What?"

"Fountain of youth…"

"The Spaniards?"

"What?" she snapped out of it and looked back up at him, finally closing her mouth that was hanging open.

"What?" He asked back and tilted his head innocently. He put the back of his hand on her forehead. "Your face is flushed, and you're warm, are you feeling well?"

"Uh…" she gulped and fanned herself with her notebook. 'I don't think I can concentrate right now.'

"Come, let's go find an armchair. I'll read to you instead." He held his hand out to her. She packed her things and quickly let him lead her further down the tall aisles.

She practically threw herself into his lap and tucked herself under his chin, breathing in his scent. He started to read from his textbook with one arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She wasn't listening, he knew that when she began to kiss his neck and wiggle her hips in his lap. He could have had her then, easily pushed her over the edge of the chair and had his way, but he didn't. He wanted to drive her crazy with need for him, make her crave that which only he could provide. Just as she had done to him many times before.

* * *

They continued like this the rest of the school year, toying with each other back and forth, seeing who would break first. Lucius had pulled Severus aside one day before breakfast, he had news to share that he didn't want to make public yet.

"My petition was accepted. I will be courting Lady Narcissa Black." He said proudly.

"That's great news! Did you just find out?" Severus shook his hand and pat him on the shoulder. He knew his friend had a crush on the girl who was a year older since they were first years.

"No… I got the approval last week." Lucius looked down at his boots.

"Last we- does she know?"

"Yes."

Severus made a face as if something foul was in the air. "What? You got the approval, she knows, and you haven't done anything?"

"I haven't spoken one word to her."

"Why the hell not? Are you regretting it now?"

Lucius broke his calm demeanor and flapped his arms around in panic. "What the hell do I do? I get so nervous around her, and she's so pretty, and she'll think I'm dumb and I don't know what to do and-"

Severus grabbed him by the front of his robes and shook him. "SHUT UP!" Once Lucius snapped out of his rant he continued. "Look- it was approved because you are a good match. Also because she asked her father to choose you out of everyone else who put in. So that means you've got a one up on all the other blokes out there right?"

Lucius didn't answer.

He shook him roughly. "Say right."

"Right?"

"You were bred for this! Here's what we're gonna do." Severus let him go and ran a hand through his hair.

" _WE?_ " Lucius looked at him with a shocked expression.

"Yes WE. You're my best mate, you helped me more times than I can count. I'm not leaving you to the wolves." Severus rolled his eyes. "You two are going to do a double date with Juliet and I this weekend."

"How?"

"The first Quidditch game is tomorrow. After the game, you will ask her, just trust me. Your adrenaline will be so pumped that you will forget your fears. Come on, breakfast then Quidditch practice." Severus said and led him to breakfast.

* * *

Quidditch was in full swing, and Severus chose to take up the spot as Chaser for Slytherin. Mulciber would have had him as a seeker, but Regs said he would have been a wasted talent there. Why have him sit around looking for a little gold ball when he was quick with the quaffle and vicious with the defense? Juliet sat in the Slytherin stands with his friends who didn't play, wearing his Slytherin scarf and green ribbons in her hair.

Severus was on top of the world, he had his apprenticeship, top marks, he was a Quidditch star and the girl everyone else wanted. When he was younger, this had always been his biggest fantasy, living the life that Potter had thrown in his face all those years. Now Potter was the nobody who didn't even have a girl. He had petitioned for a few girls and had immediately been rejected by their parents. With Garrick publicly shaming his family no one wanted anything to do with him, Sacred 28 or not.

None of the girls fell for the Potter charm anymore, nor the Black for that matter. News of Sirius not only having a secret fiancé but cheating on her as well made all the girls turn against him. No girl would give either of them the time of day. They did, however, turn their heads as Severus walked down the hall with his head held high and his hair pushed back away from his face. Lord Prince was highly sought after now that he had proven himself to the big and scary Garrick Ollivander and made his own way in the world. If he had Lady Ollivander wrapped around his wand, then he must be packing something special.

Not that Severus noticed any of the girls, he had no eyes for any of them except the little Ravenclaw with silver eyes. After they destroyed Hufflepuff in the first match of the season, Juliet rushed down to meet him in the lockers like he had told her before the game. Most of the boys had already cleared out but Severus was still getting dressed, he had been the last one off the pitch.

Juliet walked into a shirtless Severus who was pulling his pants around his waist. She stopped in her tracks and gave a low whistle. He looked up and smiled at her, his hair wet and drops of water still sticking to his skin. She licked her lips and closed the door behind her. He stood up straight and held his arms out to her.

"Are you going to greet me properly or stare?" he smirked.

She swallowed, hoping to rid of the excess in her mouth from salivating then stepped forward. She didn't take her eyes off the drops of water that fell from his hair and slid down his chest. "You're still wet." She breathed, eyeing his defined chest and abs then trailed her sight down to his waist and crotch.

He was pale and skinny, but his muscles were well defined for his body. He had done the quidditch drills and all of the heavy work over the summer and in the Potions labs for his apprenticeship. Over the last year, he went from scrawny and sickly looking to filled out. He was still thin for his frame, but his body was solid, shoulders defined and stomach hard.

"There weren't any more clean towels, Lucius used them all on his hair. Had to air dry since I didn't take my wand in the shower." He shrugged and waited for her to come into his arms.

She reached to his peck and caught a drop of water quickly racing down with the tip of her finger. She brought it to her mouth and licked it clean. His mouth formed a small 'Oh' as he watched her. She stepped forward and kissed him deeply, then trailed her kisses to his cheeks, jaw then neck.

He tilted his head back when she licked his Adam's apple and closed his eyes. He opened them again and looked down at her when she whispered: "Let me help you dry off." He watched her tongue come out and lick the water drops off his chest, kissing and licking them away.

His body tensed, staying still as she trailed further and further down. He fought the urge to close his eyes and lean into her attention, all the blood was rushing from his head and to the already hard appendage between his legs. Like his friend had told him, he had started to tuck it down his leg and was positive she could see it. Her lips had never tasted this part of his body before and he was biting his lip to keep himself from exploding in his only clean pair of pants.

What were they doing? How did they end up here? He didn't know and found that he didn't much care as long as she didn't stop! She got low enough to where she dropped to her knees before him. He hissed and grabbed her hair, tilting her head to look at him. This was his reoccurring dream every night since last year and it was about to come true.

"Lead me not into temptation." He could see what his voice was doing to her, she had admitted it weeks before that it would make her knees weak.

Without taking her eyes off of him, her hands came up and gripped his hips. Her thumbs rubbing against the V-shaped muscle lines where his pelvic bone was, the Adonis Belt was what most girls called it. He had a thin patch of hair that trailed from his naval and it disappeared down into the pants that hung low on his waist, he had yet to put a belt on.

"Deliver us from evil." She finished the prayer, her nails grazing the skin as she reached for his pants button. His hand came to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing her bottom lip. Her tongue came out and licked it, taking it in her mouth and sucking lightly.

"Bless me, father, for I have sinned." He groaned then grabbed her by the hair again. He pulled her head to smother in his clothed crotch. Rubbing his stiffness against her face and praying for release.

She gasped and rubbed her face against his hardness like a pet begging for attention. "So big…" she whispered in awe.

He chuckled and pulled her head back again. "Take me out." He ordered her and watched her hands reach for his zipper.

**BANG**

"She said yes-OHMYGAWD!" Lucius had thrown the locker room door open and charged in, stopping in his tracks when he saw his friends.

Severus pulled Juliet to her feet and pushed her behind him. "What the hell Lucius?!"

Lucius covered his eyes with both of his hands. "Sorry. Sorry. So sorry."

"What the hell are you still doing here?!" Severus yelled.

"Um-Uh…. She said yes. Thought you should know. Um. Lady Juliet, nice to see you. I mean not like this of course. I mean-" Lucius was stammering which never happened.

Juliet started to laugh silently from behind Severus. She kissed Severus quickly on the cheek. 'I'll see you at dinner, Demon.'

"Wait- He's leaving. We can- shit!" Severus called out to her as she walked away from him.

She stopped by Lucius before exiting. 'Congrats on your approval, Lord Malfoy.' She winked at him.

"Uh- thank you. You too- I mean- I'll see you again this weekend. When we give head- drink at Hogshead." He couldn't look her in the eye.

She walked out of the locker room and closed the door behind her. Lucius looked up at his friend who was glaring daggers at him. "So…"

"You're dead."


	32. Chapter 32

The double date went far better than Lucius had planned, he had to glamor his black eye that Severus had given him in the locker room, but otherwise, it was a perfect day for him. Narcissa was a lot more laid back when she was separated from her uptight sister and had a sarcastic sense of humor that Juliet liked. After they shared drinks at the Hogshead, Narcissa and Juliet told the boys that they were going to do a bit of Christmas shopping without both of them.

Severus pulled her back to him before she left the table. "Say goodbye properly." He ordered firmly.

She smiled and kissed him until he let her go. "Good girl." He praised her then let her walk away.

"Did you need to do any shopping?" Lucius asked Severus after the girls left. His friend's dominance towards his girlfriend was usual now.

"No, I already ordered what I needed to."

"Oh thank Merlin, I didn't want to deal with the crowds. What did you get her?" Lucius asked over the rim of his bottle.

"Backpack with untraceable extension charm on it and a new cloak. What about you?" Severus said and finished off his bottle of butterbeer. He held it up to Aberforth and showed two fingers, ordering another round.

"Diamond tiara and a matching diamond ring."

"Jesus Christ- jumping in head first don't you think?" Severus said with a surprised tone, giving his friend a wary look.

"Don't curse like a muggle, it's unbecoming of you." He scolded. "I want to shower her with all the gifts she deserves."

"I know I'm not the best at this, nor the one with most experience but you're setting the bar WAY too high for yourself. Next year how are you going to top that? And a ring? You two have just begun courting!" Severus thanked the barkeep when the new drinks came.

"My father said-"

"Here we go…" Severus rolled his eyes as he popped the cap off his butterbeer on the edge of the table.

Lucius scowled but continued anyway. "He said that I need to make my intentions clear from the start since our petition was approved later than others. I have less time to make a good impression on her father before she turns seventeen next year. I intend to ask for her hand in marriage."

"No offense but.."

"Normally that means you're about to say something offensive," Lucius said sarcastically with narrowed eyes.

"BUT with lack of options- hear me out." He put his hand up to stop him from interrupting. "With Ollivander dragging the Black name into the ground not a lot of families are lining their sons up for her hand. Her older sister Bella was promised with a marriage contract to Lestrange before everything went to shit. They tried to pull the contract but couldn't without having to pay a hefty fine and giving up some land. What I'm trying to say is… You're gonna do great!" Severus tried to end it on a high note by giving him a sarcastic looking grin and a thumbs up.

"I just don't want to fuck this up. I genuinely like her! She's beautiful! The hardest part about this is waiting until marriage to bed her." Lucius curled his lip at the thought and flipped his hair over shoulder dramatically.

"What- why?" He nearly spat his drink out.

"My father said- shut up- he said that if I keep her intact until I ask for her hand then the chances of my approval more than double. Pureblood families tend to cast the spell before approving. You know the spell- to check virginity." Lucius finished his bottle and started on his next.

"What?!" He shouted in disbelief. A few patrons looked over at them.

Lucius rolled his eyes and leaned forward. "It means keep it in your trousers until marriage if you plan to marry her." He watched Severus' face turn to absolute horror. "You've bed her already then?"

"You know very well I haven't!" He spat, in regards to yesterday's interruption.

Lucius touched his black eye and winced, then checked in the reflection of his bottle that the glamor still held.

"Well, if you want to marry her I would advise against it. I wouldn't put it past Ollivander to check her when she goes home for the summer. You're my best friend, I would miss you when Ollivander killed you for  _ruining_ his daughter." Lucius lifted his beer and tilted in his direction in a mock toast.

Severus let his head drop onto the old wooden table with a loud thud. He groaned in frustration at the thought of waiting a year and a half at  _minimum_ to have his way with her.

"Tell me about it… my arm started cramping…" Lucius said quietly and flexed his forearm.

His head shot up suddenly, scowling at this friend with narrowed eyes. The bottle cap from his butterbeer stuck to his forehead. " _You have no right to talk to me about blue balls!_ " He hissed.

* * *

"Lady Juliet, Lady Narcissa… how are you ladies today?" Remus greeted them in front of the broom shop.

They were looking into the window at things to buy the boys, but neither of them knew enough about Quidditch to purchase. Juliet smiled when he announced himself.

'Hello Remus, getting last minutes gifts like us?' her wand spelled out.

Narcissa just gave him a wary look but tilted her head in greeting.

"Nah, I'm the Prefect on duty with Evans. I got my shopping down via post. I learned the hard way last year." He laughed and pointed to his prefect badge pinned to his sweater.

'Next year.' She tapped her temple with her finger and laughed.

"You two looking to get a broom?" he smiled.

"Oh, Merlin! No!" Narcissa laughed. "A Lady has no business on a broom!"

'I'm terrified of heights.' Juliet confessed. 'We're looking for gifts for our gentlemen.'

"Aaaaand you have no idea what to get huh?" he laughed.

"No." They both said in unison, Juliet mouthed.

"Come on then, I'll not have you two get cheated out of your money. Old man Pickett would take advantage of you as soon as you opened your coin purse." He opened the door for them and let them pass.

It was crowded, aisles packed with everyone trying to get last minute things. "Make way you lot! Royalty coming through!" Remus called out as he made a path for them.

Both girls giggled and huddled together as they followed Remus. He helped them choose the proper gifts for a chaser and a seeker. For Severus a new broom, because Juliet wanted him to have the top of the line. She knew he hated using one of Lucius' spares. Remus made sure to get her a terrific deal and went over everything with the owner, throwing her father's name around to get the point across. He applied a 50 percent discount when Remus told him that Lord Ollivander would be furious if he found that a Hogsmead shop took advantage of his daughter. Everyone knew that Mr. Pickett wanted to open a new shop in Diagon for years but couldn't compete with the current Diagon shop prices.

"You tell your father that I did good by you." He told her as he handed her the custom wrapped parcels.

Narcissa got Lucius a custom broom kit and a framed jersey that was signed by his favorite team. She got a fifty percent discount because she would be damned if she wasn't treated with the same respect as Juliet. Remus didn't have to do much talking when she made her purchases.

"Ladies, where too next?" Remus said as he held the door open for them when leaving the shop.

"Should we get the boys something to  _stuff their stocking in?_ " Narcissa whispered to Juliet and nodded her head towards the women's clothing store, specifically the lingerie in the window.

Juliet blushed brightly and whispered back "They probably don't sell anything  **big**  enough for Severus to  _stuff_  in there!"

They both giggled and hushed each other as Remus felt his ears and cheeks go pink. Juliet covered her mouth in embarrassment when she suddenly realized that Remus could hear them. He started coughing trying to hide his laughter.

"Come on Ladies, let's get it over with. I'll hold your bags while you shop and make sure no one bothers you." Remus said with a raised brow and a cocky smirk which made them giggle even harder.

He opened the door for them, and they rushed in quickly after looking over their shoulder to see if anyone was watching. They literally threw their packages at him, and he nearly toppled over. He stayed in a chair by the front door that was meant specifically for situations like this while both girls went to look at the many racks. The shop owner was a middle-aged witch with light brown hair and a fake French accent. She followed them like a hawk after finding out which noble houses then came from and kept suggesting pricier items. Remus wasn't about to butt in on the topic of panties, thank you very much.

They tried on nearly every piece of lingerie, from lace to silk and black to rainbow colored. Narcissa helped her with many pieces that needed to be tied in the back or tightened. She told Juliet that if she didn't buy that corset for herself, then she would buy it for her for Christmas. They both walked out spending more than the cost of Severus' new broom and had boxes taller than them wrapped neatly.

Remus looked at the two leaning towers of pink and silver parcels and audibly gulped. He relaxed when the owner shrunk them and put them in dainty little bags with ribbon for handles. It was still pink and silver, but he could probably hide it behind another parcel or two.

"All set? Sure you two didn't want to ask if there's anything in the back?" he asked sarcastically.

Their eyes widened and looked at the shop owner who started to grin devilishly.

"JOKING! NO! We're leaving. Thank you, Madame." He said firmly and put an arm around both of them, ushering them out the door.

" _But the swimsuits are on sale!_ " Narcissa pleaded.

"Next trip! I promise!" Remus laughed as the door closed behind him, an arm around each of their shoulders to keep them moving forward.

* * *

Severus and Lucius were walking through the small village looking for their girlfriends. It wasn't snowing, but it had collected on the edges of the streets and rooftops. Severus had propped his collar up to protect his face from the cold winds since he gave Juliet his scarf. He wore a thick black knee-length jacket with large black buttons, a white dress shirt with black slacks. Lucius had his grey scarf loosely wrapped around his neck, but he had his hood up. He was wearing a green dress shirt, and his jacket was more like an outer robe, but it was black leather.

"Do you think they'd be at Zonko's? Or perhaps the bookstore?" Lucius asked as he peered into the window of the broom shop.

"Knowing Juliet she's already hit them but has a tendency to eat all the candy she bought and circled back for more." Severus felt the smile tug at the corners of his lips.

"How much candy does she eat?"

"Not so much  _eating_ them… but the sugar quills are her favorite. I'm positive she's purposefully trying to drive me mad." Severus gave him a knowing look.

"Trying? We share a dorm, Severus." Lucius laughed and elbowed his friend.

His resolve broke, and he finally let out a deep laugh while throwing his head back. A few first years parted the way for him with a nervous look. He looked across the street and nearly tripped over his own feet when he sidestepped his friend.

Lucius stopped from colliding with him and scowled. "What are you-"

He looked down the street, following Severus' gaze to see both of their girlfriends in the arms of a Gryffindor Marauder. Lucius couldn't believe his eyes, his new girlfriend was giggling and leaning into the boy who dyed his hair red and gold last year! Coming out of a lingerie store of all places! Severus' face looked surprisingly calm but his hands clenched into shaking fists.

"How? Why? Severus, what do we do?" Lucius asked in a hurt tone.

Without looking at his friend he said, "Get angry and take back what's yours." Then Severus walked with purpose across the street, a group of Hufflepuff boys jumped out of the way into a snow bank when they saw him.

"How do we do that?" Lucius asked as he followed at his elbow.

" **By force.** "

They were coming up behind Remus who still had his arms around their shoulders. Both girls were giggling, and they were whispering something to Remus who threw his head back and laughed. Juliet whispered to him that lingerie wasn't only for women and they could find some for him too.

"I'd pay to see it!" Narcissa giggled behind her hands.

"Oh yes, I would love to show you two my tan line… or lack thereof." Remus said sarcastically.

Severus felt his hands heat up as he quickened his pace, Lucius nearly running ahead of him now.

"I've seen enough of your lace things to know-"

Remus was pulled by the scruff of his jacket and spun around by Lucius. Severus' fist connected with Remus' eye and his head shot back just as fast. He lost his footing on the slick cobblestones and fell on his back, his head hitting with a loud crack.

Lucius delivered a swift kick to his ribs. Remus curled up and threw his hands up, tucking his head down to avoid more blows. Severus grabbed him by the front of his jacket and lifted him slightly off the ground, bending down, so their faces were close.

" **I told you to keep your hands off.** " He growled at Remus.

"She's a human being, not a piece of meat." Remus spits into his face.

It landed on his cheek, but he didn't flinch. Juliet and Narcissa tried to step forward and stop them from beating up their friend who helped them shop.

Lucius stepped forward and pointed his finger at them with a stern look. " _Stay put._ " He said firmly and turned to kick Remus again.

" **I TOLD YOU WAR WAS COMING!"**  Severus roared in his face.

"I- I'll take points-" Remus tried to use his Prefect position.

"I'll take what's mine!" Severus spat.

"I wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire." Lucius sneered.

Severus looked up at his friend while wiping his cheek on the back of his sleeve. "Good idea."

His smile was what scared Remus the most. His hand that Severus burned last year started to tingle. Severus looked back to Remus and opened his fist in front of his face, showing a quickly growing flame. His eyes got wide, and he tried to crawl backward away from it. Severus let him out the distance between them.

"Oi! Moony!" his friends saw the commotion from the broom shop. They rushed out with their wands drawn.

As Remus struggled to his feet and turned his back on Severus. That was his first mistake. Severus let the flame catch on the back of Remus' jacket, and the poor boy tried to out it out with his hands. He dove ass first into one of the snow banks between two buildings. The sound of the extinguished sizzle and his sigh of content could be heard over the sound of his friends yelling for him.

Severus drew his wand in his right hand, holding his other arm out to Juliet who was still standing to the side. She rushed forward to him and threw her hands around his waist, burying her face in his neck. "This is where you belong." He rumbled in her ear. She nodded and used her scarf to wipe the spit and dirt from his face.

The three boys slid to a stop in front of them and pointed their wands at Severus, Juliet, Lucius and Narcissa who was hanging all over him with an adoring look.

"Stop!" Remus had gotten up and jumped in between both groups with his arms up. "No more! This has gone on long enough. As a Prefect, I will be forced to report-"

"Report this!" Lucius yelled and hit him with a blast of cold water in the middle of the snow-filled street.

"What's going on here?!" One of the shop owners came out with his wand drawn.

Severus flicked his wand, and a loud bang was heard followed by a sudden massive cloud of black smoke. He pulled Juliet with him in between the buildings and Lucius followed behind them with Narcissa. They weaved through the buildings until they split up halfway back to the castle. Lucius and Narcissa went on ahead, but Severus pulled Juliet to the Shrieking Shack.

* * *

She was shivering, but it wasn't due to the cold. Her arms were wrapped around him, and he had yet to sheath his wand. "I told you not to touch."

"I didn't touch-" the little puffs of white came out with each breath.

"He touched you. I saw it." His face and his voice was calm, but his eyes were where his rage was. They bore into her, two dark pits that were everything but empty. She could see the anger, hate and… hurt.

She nodded slowly and cast her eyes down. He told her not to be touched, and she didn't obey. "I'm sorry."

"Do you want him?" he asked her suddenly.

The question caught her off guard. "NO! Never!"

" _ **Prove it**_."


	33. Chapter 33

"H-h-how?" She was still shivering.

He didn't respond, but he kept his firm gaze on her. She knew what he meant. Prove that he was the one she wanted. That she would seek out no one else for any of her needs. She stood on her toes and kissed his jaw, waiting for him to give her a sign. Whether he would push her away or let her continue, to give her some kind of signal that she was doing this right.

She continued her kisses when he tilted his head for her to access his neck. Her left hand sliding around his front to cup him. His breath hitched, and he flinched at the contact. Then he hissed when her hand slid along the seam of his zipper. She's never touched him there before, hell- no one has. There was a coil that was winding tighter and tighter in his belly.

Her mouth reached his ear, and he bucked towards her. She followed the form of his length to his tip. He was growing rapidly and groaning loudly. His wand was still in his hand, he had taken her towards the shrieking shack but an off way into the trees. He waved it around them to set muffling charms and privacy wards.

She sucked on the skin of his pulse point, then slid her hand up and down his outline. He growled louder, his left hand shot up to grab her by the chin and force her lips to his. He shoved his tongue into her mouth by force, she sucked it willingly and sighed heavily. She pulled back from him and dropped to her knees in the snow. Her jeans were wet now, and her knees were cold.

She reached for his zipper, and he growled and grabbed her wrist. " _You don't deserve that."_

Her eyes went wide, and her bottom lip quivered. " _Please_!" Her hot breath could be seen in the cold air as she begged. Her hands wrapped around his and she kissed it all over.

He looked down at her as she begged for him, rubbing her face against his hand like a pet begging for affection from its master. He throbbed at the sight. He could make her suffer like he has, make her wait just because he told her to. The power of having her under his thumb was seductive.

"Please, Demon. I want it."

He cupped her cheek. "How bad?" he pulled his hand away from her and rubbed himself through his pants. The situation was a major turn on for him, she was here begging and weeping for his cock.

"I want it! More than anything! Please…" She stroked him again, moving his hand out of the way. "It's all I think about all day. I dream about it at night…"

He grabbed her hair and shoved her face into himself, moving his hips back and forth for friction. He tilted his head back and groaned her name. " _ **Juliet.**_ " He was close to exploding in his pants as well as picking her up and pinning her against a nearby tree. To hell with saving her until he could marry her! Old man Ollivander could kill him when he found out as long as he had her now.

"I want it so bad… let me prove it… please… it's so hard… and so big!" She was begging to worship his cock like he had dreamt all those lonely nights. " _Please give it to me._ "

He couldn't stop himself, her mouth opened and her little pink tongue came out and licked the tip of his throbbing cock through his pants. He couldn't feel more than the pressure of it, but it was the sight of her wanting him. He gritted his teeth and held his breath. He buried her head against himself as he came, the heat that pooled against his thigh soaked into his pants. The dark spot spread quickly and traveling down his leg.

"Good girl." He said softly as she rubbed her face against the wet spot. Her little tongue trying to lap it up in attempt to clean him.

After a few moments, he shuddered at the sensitivity and cold that wasn't noticed before. He saw that her jeans were wet, but she didn't complain. He cupped her face and bent down and kissed her like he missed her for weeks.

"Come." He helped her to her feet and waved his wand at himself. The wet spot gone and dry, he waved it again at her jeans and face, cleaning and drying them as well.

"I can do better! Please let me do better." She whined and pawed at his front.

He smiled with a small huff of breath from his nose, "You did good. So good. I'm proud of you." He pulled her in and kissed her forehead, burying his nose in her hair. He inhaled deeply and hummed a deep note.

"Did I do good, Demon?" she whispered softly, nervous that he would still send her away.

"Yes, Angel. Such a very good girl." He wrapped his arm around her tightly as he pulled her close. "Let's get you back to the castle where I can warm you better."

* * *

Over the last few weeks, she was by his side and touching him, hanging all over him whenever they were together. He could give her a look, and a slight tilt of his head and she would come to him as if called. By the time winter break came, he had her wrapped around his finger, trying her hardest to please him any way possible. They hadn't had another steamy session since the one time. She tried to initiate it, but Severus wouldn't let it get past heavy kissing. He knew it was driving her crazy because it drove him crazy and if he kept her wanting then she would always keep coming back again and again.

Remus watched on with a concerned conscience, seeing his new friend getting ordered around like a piece of meat. He didn't like it, not one bit. Remus would be lying if he didn't have a crush on Juliet. Just a really really teeny tiny crush. It was nothing, really. He just liked how she knew he was a werewolf and thought nothing of it except letting him know she didn't care. His own parents even judge and hated the fact that their only son had turned every lunar cycle. He also thought her hair was pretty. As well as her eyes and she smelled nice, but that was it!

Juliet would smile and wave in the mornings but if Severus was anywhere in the vicinity and Remus didn't exist. When they were in Astronomy, she would act her usual old self with him. He couldn't take it anymore, he had to know that she was alright. The last week of classes before winter break included their late night Wednesday that they had to meet in the astronomy tower at midnight. Only students taking this class had permission to be outside of their Common Rooms after curfew.

On their way from Ancient Runes to lunch was when he stopped and blocked her path. "Come with me." He nodded towards the opposite direction of the Great Hall.

"But I'm meeting-"

"I know you're meeting Snape, just humor me for a few moments?" he wasn't going to take no for an answer. She had gotten him to stop referring her boyfriend as Snivellus at least.

She figured after everything that happened down in Hogsmeade it was the least she could do. She nodded and followed him to an empty hallway, people passed by but they were out of the way. He spun around and looked down at her.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She looked up at him with a confused look and whispered, "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

He looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Cuz of the way he treats you. I don't like it one bit." She opened her mouth to defend Severus, but he held a hand up to stop her. "He's so controlling, and he makes you do things. Is he hurting you?"

"What?! No! Of course not- he doesn't make me do anything I don't want to. Why would you-" she shook her head no so hard that her hair came loose from her clips. She reached up and took them out to readjust.

"He is very…  _firm_  with you and it worries me. I've seen… my father… when he drinks…" he tried to find the words to explain but couldn't. "I'm afraid he will do more than boss you around."

She got defensive but took in a deep breath before snapping. "Thank you for your concern, but it isn't needed. Demon would never hurt me."

"Why do you call him that? The name alone…" he put his hands up to surrender when he saw her pursed lips and hands on her hips. "Alright. I'll drop it. For now. Just promise me that if anything happens, that you'll come to me. You'll tell me. Know that I just want you safe and you never have to feel afraid."

"If it'll make you feel better, I will tell you if anything like that happens. But it won't, so stop worrying." She pointed a firm finger at him and shook it.

Remus sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead right above his eyebrows. "Alright… I guess so. I still have all your Christmas presents that you bought. I-I didn't look in them or anything I swear!" he blushed a bright pink at the reminder that he had a bunch of her lacy things in a pink and silver bag locked in his trunk.

"Oh, I nearly forgot all about them! I have been so caught up with finals and…" she looked away and bit her lip.

"I understand. When do you want to meet up?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall on his right.

"I don't know. I'm so busy-"

"With  _Demon._ " He sneered.

" _Speak of the Devil, and he shall appear._ " Severus' deep voice said from behind Remus. He had heard Remus asking Juliet to meet later and was not happy at all.

"Snape." Remus greeted and stood up straight, not having his back to the Slytherin this time.

"Lupin."

'Demon!' Juliet greeted him with a hug and a kiss on his jaw.

"I got out of Potions early and thought I would walk you to class, but you weren't where you should have been." Severus was speaking to her but not taking his scathing look from Remus' face.

"See you later, Juliet," Remus said and walked around the couple. He hated the way that Severus talked to her but knew it was a lost cause. How she liked being bossed around like that he would never know! He paused by Juliet and said low enough for her to hear him. "I'll give it to you tonight." He said in reference to their midnight class they shared.

Once Remus was gone, and out of earshot, Severus looked down at her. "What did he want?"

'Just to talk about Astronomy class, our final is tonight and I want to make sure I'm ready.'

"What is he going to give you tonight?" he asked suspiciously and tightened his grip on her.

'Study notes. Don't worry.' She kissed him and caressed the worry line on his forehead.

He hated that Remus was hanging around her so much, he was jealous, and he wouldn't deny it. She convinced him that she didn't want the other boy, but that didn't mean the other boy didn't want her. She had earned his trust since their close encounter in the snow, but that didn't mean Remus didn't have alternative motives. He nearly killed to have her as his and knew that would probably be the same for others as well.

"He likes you." He said with a matter of fact tone.

'As a friend.' She shook her head and smiled.

"No. It's more than that. I see the way he looks at you." He nudged her cheek with his, wanting to be closer to her.

"He doesn't-" her whisper was cut off by his firm voice.

"Yes, he does. I know because it's how I look at you."

She saw his intense gaze, licking her lips she kissed him. "I only have eyes for you."

* * *

Severus tried to escort her to the Astronomy tower for her late night classes but was caught by a teacher every time. He didn't have the class on his schedule, so he wasn't exempt from curfew like she was. He did, however, take the back way around and made sure he wasn't seen or heard. She said not to worry about her returning any feelings for Remus, but that didn't mean the other boy wouldn't try something. He wanted to make sure that no one else was putting ' _the moves'_  on her like Avery said.

Juliet got to class twenty minutes early and waited at the bottom of the stairs for Remus. Severus watched from being a suit of armor down the corridor that he knew Remus wouldn't be coming down. When the sandy haired boy showed up with a small pink and silver bag with lace for a handle, he felt his rage hit. He knew what store that was from, there was only one place to get it from and it was in Hogsmeade. Remus' past comment echoed in his mind from that trip.

' _I would love to show you my tan line… or lack thereof.'  
'I've seen enough of your lace things…'_

"You have any idea how awkward it was walking out of my dorm with this? Next time ask the lady to shrink it in another bag for Merlin's sake!" Remus laughed.

'You could have just owled it.' She signed and took it from him.

"Nah I didn't have any owl treats. Last time I went to the owlery without them I got bit pretty hard." He rubbed the tip of one of his fingers. He walked with her up the stairs to complete their final before the winter break.

Severus was at the apex of his temper. Another boy bought his girlfriend lingerie! Oh hell no! He didn't realize that both of his hands were balled into fists at his side and both were glowing red. The fire he usually controlled at will was now taking over his palms. He opened them as he looked down, it was bigger and brighter than usual. He balled his fist again and pushed them out from his body. The suit of armor exploded and flew away from him, a few students who were just reaching their Astronomy class looked over at the commotion, but Severus had already gone around the corner.


	34. Chapter 34

They planned to stay at Hogwarts for the winter holiday like the year before. All of his friends were going home for Christmas and Lucius extended an invitation to Severus as usual, but he wanted to have the run of the castle with Juliet. He had planned many more close encounters of the sexual kind and having a majority of the school's population was something he wanted to take advantage of.

The day after everyone left on the train Juliet had a butterfly-shaped note chase her down in the library. At first, it scared her, and she ran from it until Severus caught it and held it out for her. She read it with a worried look while biting her lip.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

'It says I'm to pack my trunk and head to the Headmaster's office at once.' She handed over the note for him to read.

"Do you think something is wrong with your father?" he asked.

She shrugged and twisted the bottom of her sweater in her hands. She was nervous, and he could see it plain as day. He wrapped his arm around her waist with one arm and the other tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Hey… it will be alright. Come on, I'll help you pack." He kissed her forehead and let her bury her face in his neck.

When they got to the Headmaster's office, the gargoyle let her pass without a password. It was instructed by the headmaster to let her in automatically since she could not speak. The portrait may have been able to understand the sign language queues when told by Flitwick, but the gargoyle has a much shorter attention span. She refused to let go of his hand, so he walked her up the stairs.

"Happy Holidays Miss Ollivander, Mister Snape." Albus greeted when they stepped in.

"Sir." He nodded to the old man and let Juliet step in first so he could bring her trunk in.

'Is my Papa okay?' she asked immediately.

"Oh, I believe so. He is waiting for you right now, just step into the floo, and I will call out the destination for you. Don't work he told me how to do it." Albus smiled at her and gave her a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder as he led her to the fireplace.

Severus scowled at the sight of the Headmaster touching her but held his tongue. He knew he had nothing to worry about a geriatric old man possibly stealing his girlfriend away. It was the fact that she was his and he coveted everything and anything about her. For someone else to feel her warmth and soft skin drove him mad. It was like nails on a chalkboard for him whenever he saw her touch someone and even worse when someone touched her.

"Aren't you going to let her say goodbye properly?" Severus growled from his spot by the door.

Juliet stopped and shrugged off Albus' hand. She ran as fast as she could back to Severus who had his arms open for her. He had to take a step back from the impact of her flying at him. Her arms were so tight around his neck that it was hard to breathe. He didn't care, she could never hold him tight enough.

"You be good. Write me as soon as you can. Everything will be alright." He assured her.

"I don't want to leave you." She sniffled in his ear.

It suddenly made sense to him, she was afraid of him being disappointed in her. "Don't worry Angel, I'll be right here and an owl away."

Headmaster be damned he was going to kiss his girlfriend goodbye. Albus awkwardly cleared his throat after a few moments of tongue battling in his office. "Come now, we mustn't keep your father waiting. Patience is not one of that man's virtues."

Juliet looked at Severus one last time before she stepped into the floo and vanished in the green flames. Her trunk went next, and Albus turned to Severus. "Don't worry my boy! She will be back before term starts. I think…"

Severus frowned and excused himself from the office. Now, what the hell was he going to do while he was alone for the holiday?

* * *

"Oh, thank God you're here. What took so long?" Garrick asked Juliet as he pulled her from the floo into a tight hug. "Never mind that. I need your help."

He released her and rushed up the stairs to the main shop floor. He paused halfway up and looked back at her standing in the middle of the living room. "Well come on then!"

He led her out of the wand shop and next door to Eeylops owl emporium and knocked on the door twice before just walking in. Juliet followed behind him to the back of the shop.

"There you are! I thought you ran away for good." The shop owner said. Mr. Ernest Eeylops was a third generation owner of the place and went by Lops for short since his grandfather was Ernie, and his father was Jr.

"I told you I had to get my granddaughter." Garrick snapped.

"Well have you made up your mind yet? I need to get rid of it fast before it attaches to someone." He said impatiently.

Garrick looked at Juliet, and she could see a bead of sweat form on his forehead. "Give us a quick minute will you?"

Lops scowled but backed out of the room slowly before letting the door swing shut loudly. Garrick turned to Juliet and looked worried. She bit her lip. 'What's going on?'

"You're from the… you know that time." He meant from the future. He didn't want to chance Lops snooping in on their conversation. "You said that we had a House Elf. I needed to know… before I changed the future or something foolish like Albus."

Her eyes got wide, and her hands went to her mouth. He meant Robbie. Robbie was the house elf in her time that was more of a brother to her than anything. Robbie helped raise her since it was difficult for her parents with a mute child. Robbie wasn't a servant or a slave, he was family. Juliet stepped forward to the little bundle wrapped in a burlap sack on a bale of hay leaning against the wall.

She saw his ears first, much too big for his head and pointed in different directions. Then two of the biggest blue eyes she hadn't seen since she left her time. It was her Robbie, she just knew it! Garrick looked over her shoulder and watched the baby House Elf with her.

"He was born this morning. His mother didn't make it, sadly there was nothing we could do. You told me that was how the future was going to be… I just had to make sure that this was the right one. I didn't want to mess anything up." Garrick spoke softly.

She nodded and sniffled, her eyes filling with tears or joy or sorrow. She didn't quite know, to be honest. She was happy that she had another link to her past, their future but her heart broke that his mother didn't make it. She reached out and picked up the baby Elf and held him close to her chest.

"Are you certain?" Garrick asked firmly while watching his granddaughter hold the tiny thing as if it would break.

"Positive." She whispered and wiped her tears with her free hand. Robbie just kept staring up at her until he seemed to figure her out. A small smile formed on his face and he blinked slowly. She smiled back down at him. "Hello, Robbie… I'm your sister Juliet." She whispered. Robbie's ears twitched signaling that he heard her loud and clear and his smile got bigger.

"To be honest… I also brought you home because I have no idea how to care for a non-human child. If you ask your father, I don't know how to care for one of those either." Garrick grumbled the last part of that before heading out of the back room to talk to Lops again.

Juliet was let alone with Robbie while Garrick worked out the details with Lops in the front. She could hear them yelling at each other from the back. "Alright, Lops I'll take it. I said I'll take it off your hands!"

Both men always yelled at each other not out of anger, both of them thought the other was hard of hearing. Juliet always thought they both kinds of were but never said anything. A few minutes later Garrick came back holding a covered cage an angry face.

"I told you one and only one! I'm already doing you a favor. I SAID-" Garrick raised his voice as he spoke and put the cage on the stack of boxes by the door.

"I heard you! I'm saying that I'm giving you a good stock House Elf and as payment, you gotta take this runt." Lops yelled back and crossed his arms.

"SHHH!" Juliet scolded and covered Robbie's sensitive ears as best she could.

"I won't take all your strays, Lops." Garrick shook his head and crossed his own arms. "YOU should be paying ME for getting him off of your hands! If it weren't for me, you'd have to surrender him to the magical animal control and pay a rehoming fee."

"You're right- and as a token of my appreciation, I am gifting this one of a kind raven to you! Minor training required." Lops said and held his arms out to showcase the caged bird sarcastically.

They went back and forth as Juliet walked over to it and lifted the small sheet that covered it. At the very bottom of the cage was a little angry looking ball of black. Two shiny black eyes looked up at her with its tuft of feathers pointing in all directions. It was a raven fledgling, well should have been a fledging for the age that Lops claimed the little guy was.

"Corvus!" Juliet was surprised to see her future familiar staring up at her. Garrick had given him to Juliet the day she turned 11 and got her letter to attend school in Rome. He claimed he won the bird in a card game and had put up with the mischievous little thing until he found a reason to pawn him off on someone else.

Juliet turned to Garrick and whistled for him. "He's mine!" she mouthed to him.

He scowled when Lops had laughed in his face. "HAH! Can't say no to the kid, Ollie." Garrick hated that nickname, but Lops didn't care, he wasn't afraid of Garrick. Either that or he didn't know any better.

"Fine. But you're training it."

* * *

Juliet took on the baby duty willingly. She knew that Robbie played a massive role in taking care of her when she was growing, but so she wanted to make sure that she returned the favor. She woke up without complaint at all hours when he needed feeding and changed the most stinky of diapers without gagging. Garrick pulled his shirt up over his nose and ran out of the room the first time and avoided all after that.

Juliet begged Garrick to let Severus come to their home for Christmas Eve and Day since he would be spending the holiday alone at the castle. Garrick approved then mumbled something under his breath along the lines of, sure let's just invite all the black sheep degenerate boys why don't we? So Juliet wrote to him as soon as she can, telling him to meet the Headmaster at 9 am on Christmas Eve and floo to their house just as she did.

She wrote nothing of what happened with Robbie or Corvus in the letter, wanting to surprise him in person. When Severus came through the floo with his trunk, he nearly ran back through it. He was met with the scene of his girlfriend holding a wrapped baby and feeding it a bottle.

"It's not mine." Was the first thing he said.

Garrick laughed so hard he nearly dropped his teacup onto his lap. He was sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper. "You didn't tell him." Garrick didn't have to ask.

Juliet rolled her eyes and turned a bit so Severus could see Robbie. Two giant blue triangles with eyes stared back at him. Juliet had knitted him little caps for his ears so they wouldn't get cold.

"It's a baby House Elf. Ollivander's come with big ears but not that big." Garrick called out from his spot across the room and tugged on his own ear. "Only runs in the boys though." He added quickly when Juliet scowled at him.

Severus was caught off guard completely, he was under the impression that illness had befallen Garrick. Or perhaps something happened with the brother she never told him about. "I've never seen a baby Elf before."

Juliet put him down in the bassinet and set the mobile to spin with a tap of her wand. 'Mr. Lops next door had an elf. She gave birth to Robbie but didn't make it… so Papa was kind enough to take him in."

"That's… very kind of you Sir." Severus said. He was unsure of how to respond to this, Purebloods usually didn't give a shite about an Elf's welfare.

Garrick shrugged casually as he refilled his cup from the steaming pot. "Gotta give everyone a chance. Gave you one didn't I?"

Juliet whistled sternly if one could imagine like a referee blowing a whistle on a foul. Garrick corrected himself immediately. "I mean- He's family and nothing will ever change that." Repeating the words that Juliet kept hounding him with every time he brought up that it wasn't too late to get rid of Robbie.

Severus was shown to his room by Garrick and reminded twice that Juliet's was nowhere near his so there was no reason to be in that part of the house. As well as a charm was in both rooms that neither could enter at the same time. Juliet hit Garrick on the arm and blushed with embarrassment.

That night she made a five-course dinner for all of them and Severus' ate every little bite that was served on his plate. Garrick and Severus did have one thing in common, they both loved her food. By the time dessert was rolled out both of them were breathing heavily but not refusing a slice of her special pecan pie or two scoops of ice cream.

Severus spent the evening afterward helping her try to train her new familiar Corvus. The little raven had a severe attitude problem that Juliet said was probably due to him being bullied by his larger siblings. They both read a bunch of books they borrowed from Lops and got to work. He read that orphan chicks best responded to calls or imitations of their parents. So Juliet whistled to Corvus at different pitches until he responded back finally. He liked all the higher pitched tones that she whistled, and eventually, he hopped close enough to her to eat the seed from her hand. It would be hard work, but she wasn't going to give up on him!

* * *

On Christmas day Severus woke up to Juliet jumping up and down on his bed and landing on top of him. She wasn't heavy, but she was pointy in areas like her knees and elbows. "Oof! What happened to the wards?" he asked groggily.

She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue. 'Papa was bluffing. Come on- it's time to open presents!'

He pulled her back down to him and rolled her off of him, "Five more minutes…"

When she finally got him out of bed, she barely gave him enough time to properly brush his teeth and comb his hair, so it wasn't stuck up in all directions. She refused to let him change, claiming that Christmas was meant to be spent in pajamas. Their tree was huge and put all of the ones at school that Flitwick charmed to shame. It had the typical Ravenclaw colors that the Ollivanders adopted as their own. The dark velvety blue ribbons with shining silver bows that dancing around the tree to give it the appearance that it was spinning.

Garrick was sitting in his plaid pajama bottoms and housecoat with black slippers on his feet. He was feeding Robbie while sitting by the fire with the newspaper floating in front of him as he read. "Merry Christmas." He greeted.

"Merry Christmas Sir. Thank you again for having me here." Severus bowed slightly before Juliet dragged him towards the tree.

"Little one let us have tea first yeh?" Garrick smiled at his impatient 'daughter.'

She huffed and waved her wand towards the kitchen table, and it set itself. They all moved to it and sat down for breakfast. She ate faster than Severus had ever seen her and Garrick winked at him to follow his lead. Both of them had second helpings and were about to reach for a third before she finally pulled the tray of toast and eggs away from them impatiently.

"All right go and sort them then." Garrick nodded to the tree, and she jumped up fast.

She came to a sliding stop on her knees in front of the tree and eagerly sorted each present into little piles for each of them by name. Severus thought it was one of the cutest things he'd ever seen her do and hoped to spend many Christmas' with her in the future. She brought a decent sized pile towards him, and it caught him off guard, he hadn't expected much if anything. He was glad he made sure to get Garrick a gift as well.

She said that guests opened theirs first then they went around one by one. She made him open up his new broom first because it was the one she couldn't wait to see his face when he saw it. His eyes narrowed at first then widened when he realized it really was what he thought it was. She tricked him by keeping it wrapped in its shrunk condition until he pulled it out of its small box. It extended in his hand and he nearly dropped it.

He set it down gently after he inspected it and pulled her into a tight embracing while thanking her over and over and telling her it was perfect. Then he handed one of his and continued like this until all the presents were opened. She loved the extended bag he got her for class and the new cloak that had permanent warming charms on it. Severus got a very nice sized general gift certificate from Garrick that he could use at any shop on Diagon. He gifted Garrick with a plentiful supply of headache remedies and a rare bottle of Ogden's finest aged fifty years. He'd gotten from Lucius when he won a bet a few years back and decided it was best suited for someone who could appreciate the bitter taste.

Sadly he had to return to Hogwarts after the huge dinner that Juliet made for them but was promised that Juliet would return back to school by the time term started again. New years was spent alone.


	35. Chapter 35

Severus waited for her in the Entrance Hall when all the students came back from break. He spotted her in the crowd and watched her barge through a group of large seventh-year boys twice her size to get to him. He picked her up and spun her around a few times while kissing her. He only spent a few short weeks without her, but it felt like an eternity to him. They made up the time missed in an empty classroom in the dungeons until dinner. That night his friends sat in their dorm room gloomier than ever.

"Snape never thought I'd say I missed your sorry arse over break," Rowle grunted from his bed.

"Is there something I'm missing?" He asked and looked around.

"My father had a guest over for the Hols. A club of sorts…" Lucius said cautiously.

"We all had to go. It was really awkward." Avery winced as he thought of that night.

"There's this bloke we were introduced to, calls himself the Lord Voldemort. Some Dark Lord of sorts claiming blood purity. Didn't seem all that powerful if ya ask me. All I know is that my old man was rightly scared of 'im." Yaxley was leaning against his headboard with his arms behind his head.

"So what was the point of the meeting?" Severus asked.

"He's trying to gain followers. S'all politics to me." Nott shrugged. "Like a campaign or something. Get the vote of the people and money to back himself before he makes his move in the Ministry."

"You think he's using my father for money?" Lucius sat up straight and looked at Nott.

"Think so? Know so! My old man said he knew Riddle back in school and he was a half-blood orphan. Didn't have nothing to his name but his hand me down clothes and a wand he had to work off the summer before school started." Mulciber said from his spot on Avery's trunk.

"He disappears right after graduating and shows up some years later knowing some dark magic and telling all the Sacred 28 what he wants to hear. Easy math, Malfoy." Regs tapped his temple with his finger.

"I have to tell my father!" Lucius scrambled to find a quill and parchment.

"He knows already. Trust me, my father is in on it too." Avery snarled.

"I'm confused. Why did you all have to meet this Lordy Volt?" Severus looked around.

"Lord Voldemort." Regs corrected. "Because he is trying to bring purity to the magical world. He went on for hours about how the muggles are stealing our magic, and it was a slap in the face that the ministry kept us all secret from the rest of the world. Said something about us taking what's rightfully ours… then I kinda zoned out for a bit and can't remember the rest."

"That was the general gist of it all really." Rowle rolled his eyes. "He won my father over that's for sure, and he's already  _decided for me_  that I will join this thing when I graduate."

"So is it a club or membership?" Severus asked, thinking of a golf club that his father went on and on about they gave them special jackets.

"It's a lifestyle I guess is the best way to describe it. He had all sorts of propaganda against mudbloods and muggles." Nott turned his lip up when he said mudbloods. "Wants to stop inter-breeding- or was it cross breeding? Something about not crossing the streams- I honestly wasn't paying much attention either."

"He believes in traditions and keeping things like Evans breaking blood rank from happening. Oh yes, he heard all about that from our fathers. He promised that things like that would never happen again under his rule." Lucius said proudly.

"Oh, you buying this shite too? A second ago you were all 'not my galleons,' and now you're in?" Mulciber called him out.

"I'm keeping an open mind. An investment in purifying our heritage might be something worth looking into." Lucius flicked his hair over his shoulder.

"Hello- measly half blood here." Severus waved his hand sarcastically. "So this is for purebloods only?"

"I guess." Regs shrugged. "Not buying into it myself. I don't care about that nonsense. My father can squander away Sirius' inheritance all he wants. I want to see the world when I graduate."

"I'm sure I can talk to my father for you. But I think there's an entrance fee since it's exclusive." Lucius said with a haughty tone.

"A fee? If he's taking your money what are you getting in return?" Severus asked. He didn't want to pay for some shitty club just to look fancy.

"Power, glory, fame, women, and money. That's what I picked up from it." Rowle said as he ticked his fingers off.

"But you're giving him your money. I'm so confused." Severus scratched his head, this sounded like one of those scammer salesmen that came to the front door selling pieces of land you could never visit. Power and money did sound appealing though, because if he had that, then he would have an even better shot at gaining Juliet's hand in marriage.

"He's seeking people of talents and high ups in the Ministry who have  _influence_. He's a smart bloke if you ask me, he knows how to play people to get what he wants." Nott said.

"He's staying at my house this summer. I want you to come and meet him. I'll set up a meeting for you and tell him how good you are at potions. You've already caught everyone's eye in the papers. You're the first apprentice that Jigger's has ever taken on." Lucius reassured. He didn't want to leave his best friend behind, and he would be sure to bring him with him to the top.

* * *

Severus' birthday was on a Sunday this year, and Juliet had everything planned out perfectly just for him. With the help from his friends, they showed her how to access the room of requirement and lured him there under the assumptions they were going to kick some Marauder ass. When they practically shoved him into Room of Requirement and slammed the door behind him while giggling like girls. Regs nearly gave them away twice with how much winking he was doing.

"What the bloody-" He turned around and beat his fists on the door. His friends were some bloody fools if they thought they would get away with this prank!

He heard her whistle from behind him, he hadn't seen her the whole day, and it had put him in a foul mood. He turned around slowly and saw the room for what it was. Dark with candles lit in two straight lines that guided a path around a curtained area. He slowly followed the small candles with his wand drawn, making sure to stand on his guard. When he walked through the curtains, his jaw dropped the same time his wand hit the floor.

Juliet was in the middle of a large dark wood four poster bed with silky white sheets. She was wearing a black lace nightie with stockings and garter belts on her mid thighs. His mouth went dry, and he was a deer caught in the headlights.

She smiled at him and lighted the nightie up and over her head and threw it aside. She wore a matching lace bra and panties that covered very little. 'Happy Birthday Severus.'

" _There is a God."_  He muttered under his breath. "How did you- when did-" he was so stunned he didn't know which question to ask first.

"Shh." She put a finger to her lips then with the other hand beckoned him to the bed with her.

He kicked off his boots and shrugged off his jacket then climbed over the foot of the bed and crawled to her. She was like an angel waiting to escort him to the gates of heaven! He was afraid to touch her, to ruin the mirage of her so ready before him. So she reached out to him first, placing a gentle hand on his cheek and kissing him softly.

"Angel…" He grabbed her and crushed his lips against hers, teeth clicking together loudly.

She guided him down to the bed on his back, hovering above him and wrapping a leg around him. Moving her body against him as his hands roamed hers. He fought to keep his eyes open, he didn't want to miss a thing, but the pleasure was making it hard for his eyes to focus. He hadn't planned on this at all and was acting on pure instinct.

He grabbed her leg and flipped them over, so he was now on top of her. Kissing her neck and collarbone, his hands cupping her right breast while the other on her thigh that was wrapped around him tightly. When she breathed his name, he started to grind into her. His next task was getting that damn chest support off of her, but it seemed to open all on its own. He pulled back to look at the two big glorious mounds that he had only imagined since the first time he saw her. Pink little nubs that were begging for attention by pointing up at him.

She arched her back up to get him to touch her again, and he obliged. He dove in head first and didn't come up for air until he saw that both got equal attention. First, he inhaled her sweet scent then squeezed them both together against his face, then he let his tongue taste every part of them. He was doing this for his own pleasure until he heard her breathing soft mewls of encouragement to him. Then it was all about watching her writhe beneath him.

"Severus… don't stop." She whispered.

His skin was on fire, his brain was a foggy mess with only one of his heads thinking about anything at all. How he didn't poke a hole through his slacks, he didn't know. He put a hand on either side of her head and supported himself above her. Looking down at her so ready and willing for him. Not Remus- HIM! Severus bloody Snape!

"Juliet… my Angel… for me. All for me.  _Mine._ " He couldn't say if he were talking to her or himself.

She reached for his shirt and started to unbutton it, running her hands over his skin as she did. "I'm ready."

All of his thoughts were taken over by an echo of Lucius shouting in his head. ' _My father said…If you want to marry her… keep her intact… Ollivander… kill you.'_ Stupid Lucius and his stupid father, she was here begging for him and what was he to do?! Say no and push her away? He couldn't think straight, he couldn't think much at all with her legs wrapped so tightly around his waist. The heels of her feet digging into his ass and pulling closer to her. He could feel the heat radiating off of her core, he was dry humping her deeper into the bed, and she loved every bit of it.

"I… I… can't. I can't do this." He said after he finally found the words.

"You can't?" she looked hurt.

"I can! I mean I totally can it's just…" He scrunched up his face as if in pain. "I don't want to ruin you."

"RUIN ME?!"

Oh, he was in deep shit now. "I mean I would be your first. Right? Tell me I'm your first!"

**SLAP**

Wrong thing to say.


	36. Chapter 36

He realized that after he felt his tongue and cheek go numb from her small hand coming across his face. It happened so fast, and so hard he nearly flew off the bed with its force. She pushed him away and curled up at the headboard with her arms around herself. He blinked a few times to correct his vision, he swore she knocked him cross-eyed.

"Angel that's not what I meant. I'm sorry. I meant I'm trying to do right by you." He was on his knees in front of her, sitting on his heels. His erection still proudly sticking straight up and pointing her as if showing Severus the way to salvation.

'You don't want me if I'm sullied. I get it.' She had tears in her eyes, and she was sniffling. She refused to look at him and instead was staring straight ahead to the wall by the bed.

**NO. NO. NO.**

"Damn it, Severus." He cursed himself and ran a hand through his hair and pushed it back from his face. Taking a deep breath, he tried to explain again. "If I lay with you then your father won't approve of me asking for your hand next year. I want you- God knows that I want you more than anything. Bending you over a desk has become my daily daydream and when you suck on those sugar quills… fuck! I just want to shove my- you know what I mean!"

She finally looked at him and sniffled. 'You want to marry me?'

That got her attention. "Of course I do! I'd be a bloody imbecile if I didn't! You're the greatest thing to ever happen to me and I am…. I'm…" he growled in frustration to find the words to convey. "I'm trying  _really hard_  to not fuck up alright? I fucked up once before by walking away from you when he first met, then I fucked up when I didn't petition for you. I won't get another chance, Juliet. I can't mess this up because I would never  _ever_  forgive myself. I am nothing without you."

She sniffled and reached up to wipe the tears in the corners of her eyes. "Really?" she mouthed.

"Yes! Tell me what you need for me to do to prove it." He begged her.

"I dunno…" she mouthed and wiped her face with her hands.

He looked down at this beautiful creature that he knew he loved more than anything. Hell, he wasn't sure he knew what love was before he found her. All he knew was that she made him the happiest guy in the world and he wanted to make her as equally delighted. He bit his lip and closed his eyes briefly. He knew that he had to show her. It made him extremely uncomfortable to show anyone this since he had shown Lily when he was younger. She had jumped away and called him a monster, refusing to get close to him since.

If he wanted her to trust him, to accept him truly for what he was then it might as well be now rather than later. "I want to show you something. I've never told anyone before." Not entirely true since he  _showed_ Lily but he never  _told_  her. "I can make fire. Don't get smart with me- I meant without a wand or match." He smirked at the words forming in her head that he knew she wanted to say.

He decided it was best to just show her then tell her since he was doing a swell job of mucking it up so far. He held his right hand out to her with his palm facing up. He waited until he had her complete attention before the small flame appeared in his palm. He extinguished it then brought it back twice, then he made the flame brighter and larger and back down again.

While she looked on with big eyes he decided to speak again; since she hadn't gone running like Lily did. "I've been able to do this since I was nine years old. I did it by accident at first… got into a fight with a bigger kid in my neighborhood. Then I figured out how to make it happen on my own command eventually. Took quite awhile to control but I got it down now."

She moved closer to look at it, its flame casting the flickering shadows across her face as she looked on in wonder. He thought it made her even more beautiful. He heard her whisper a small "Wow."

"I never told anyone… I didn't want them to think I was practicing dark magic."

He watched her small hand come up and hover over it to feel the heat it made. He didn't know why he was holding his breath, but he didn't dare move. Then both her hands came up around the flame as if to cup it. Closing in on it to touch it, he tried to pull away from her before it burned her, but she had already run her fingers through it like it was water.

He thought he was going to hurt her, not the exact opposite. It was pure pleasure and ecstasy for him, he had never felt anything like it before. It was like she had a secure hold of his heart… and his groin and was embracing it gently. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and his hips moved on their own, he exploded in his slacks, and he struggled out a groan.

She didn't get burned at all, in fact, it felt soft and warm to her. Like running your hand through the most exquisite fur coat. She knew what this was, her father had many books on it and told her stories growing up about people's magical core. Her father had told her that he and her mother had the magical cores of air, but Garrick had an electrical core. She had read in a book that water and earth were the most common core but fire was truly rare. She had wondered many times what her magical core was until she put together the facts that whenever she lost her temper, fire spells were the only thing that worked for her.

Severus rolled his head backward and side to side while stretching his neck before he looked back to her hovering over his bright flame. "How did you… I didn't mean to…" Words were lost on him.

She grabbed his flame again, and he moaned loudly, shuddering at her literally stroking his ego- I mean magic. He was breathing fast and heavy, it was overbearing for him, and his body wasn't sure how to respond other than with an orgasm. She stroked his fire and lightly blew a light breath on it, and it flickered higher. He came again in his slacks, these pants were ruined that was for sure.

"Your core magic is fire." She whispered and finally looked away from his flame and up to him.

"Normally when things touch it they burn… very badly." He explained as he tried to catch his breath and calm down.

"My core is fire as well. How do you do it?"

He put it out and held his palm out flat again. "I just imagine it and…. I don't know think really hard about it, so it just happens now." The flame appeared again when he twitched his fingers.

"You will it into existence…" she muttered and held her own hand out next to his.

Her brows were furrowed, and she was biting her lip while she tried to make her own small ball of flame. After a few huffs, they watched as the tiniest little flicker of light appeared in her palm. He smiled down at her when he saw her face light up, as long as she wasn't crying. The bigger she smiled, the bigger the flame became. It was now the same size as the one in his hand.

He reached up with his free hand and without fear he ran his fingers through her flame. Wondering if it would have the same effect on her as it did him. Her breath hitched, and her eyes closed while she tipped her head back. The flame held no serious heat to him, but it was so soft and warm… so inviting to him like it was calling him… home. This was it, what he never truly had. It was home.

He pulled his hand out of her flame and led her flame towards his own. She watched him and followed his lead, she too wondered what would happen if their flames met. Once they got close, enough both flames seemed to lean into each other, reaching for the other light. When they joined completely the flames burned so hot and bright that it was nearly white. Time stopped for both of them, eyes locked and all breath knocked out from both of them. He stared at her with a slack jaw, unable to breathe or speak. Her mouth partly open but her eyes not blinking as she looked at him over the flame. She felt it too.

They felt complete as if they had been alone all their lives up until this point. No one else mattered, and he could feel her emotions towards him coming in loud and clear. The love and affection she tried to express all this time was understandable without the need for words or actions. He hoped she could feel his too because he was speechless.

She pulled her hands away and pounced on him. Throwing her arms around his neck, kissing his face all over and nearly sending him back on to the bed. She leaned close to his ear and whispered. "I love you too Severus."

He didn't say it back, he couldn't with her covering his mouth with hers. She pushed him to lay down beside her on the bed, his head on the pillow and her hovering over him. "There are other things we can do…" she whispered seductively and licked his bottom lip.

He chuckled softly. "Show me." He thanked Merlin that he had the foresight to clean himself when she wasn't looking at him, so there wasn't a messy surprise in his pants anymore.

She licked and sucked from his chest and down his stomach, cupping him in his pants and squeezing him. He was still hard, and he didn't know how or why. He just had the two biggest orgasms of his life, and he was still rock hard and ready for her. Although if he couldn't have another go, this would be an entirely different awkward situation.

She slowly unbuckled his belt and slid it out from the loops of his slacks then tossed it somewhere on the bed beside him. She looked up at him and nuzzled his crotch lovingly before undoing his button and zipper. He arched his hips up to her and clenched his hands at his side to keep himself from grabbing her head. This wasn't the time to take control, he had to let her lead the way since he stopped them from going further. She pushed his pants to either side and toyed her fingers around the band of his boxers. Lightly running her fingers through the thin patch of hair disappearing under it.

He growled, "No more teasing."

His right down reached into his boxers, and he pulled himself out, his left hand pushing his boxers and pants down for him to expose his sack as well. " _Oh mercy…"_  he moaned softly as the sight of her looking up at him with his cock in his hands.

It was the length of her face if not bigger! Her eyes got wide, he thought she was grossed out by his size until she licked her lips. She got up to lean on her elbows for support, and he felt her breath on it, so warm. He stroked himself for her and tilted his cock towards her, it throbbed and flexed for her as if showing off.

"Lick it." Did he say that? He wasn't in control of himself anymore.

Her tongue came out slowly, and he felt himself drip in anticipation. Before the bead of pre-cum dripped down his shaft, she licked it from an inch down and trailed her tongue to the top. He exhaled the breath he didn't know he was holding, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. Her tongue didn't stop there, she kept licking him from the bottom to the top then swirled her tongue around the tip.

Her hands wrapped around him and he moved his hands away to let her take over. At least her hands  _tried_ to wrap around him, there was a gap from her thumb to her fingers because he was thick too. She gave it a test squeeze, and he dropped his head back on the pillow.

"I don't know if it will fit…" she mused to herself.

His head shot back up. "Won't know if you don't try."

She opened her mouth, and he watched his top disappear into her mouth, feeling the hot wetness of her mouth around him. "OH SWEET FUCK!" He had covered his face with his hands out of reflex, he couldn't believe this was happening.

"Good?" She asked when she took him out of her mouth.

He nodded his head and grabbed her head with both hands and led her mouth back down onto him. She moved slowly up and down, using her tongue on the spot just below his head on the bottom side. He gasped at the feeling, eyes rolling back and his muscles tensing. He was close and unable to stop the inevitable.

Then she took him deeper, that he would have thought possible given the size of his cock and the size of her mouth but she did. Leaning forward to push down father, he hit the back of her throat and felt her apply suction. It was witchcraft, it had to be because there was no way something could feel this good.

"I'm going to cum. I'm gonna-  **Oh good god witch**." He moaned as he exploded in her mouth. She made no move to take him out of her mouth when he released her head. When the first pump of his seed came, his hands quickly found her head again, grasping her hair tightly and shoving her head as far as it would go to catch the rest he was pumping into her.

His hips pumped up by reflex, and he was holding his breath as she sucked the life out of him. He felt her swallow, and his cock twitched in her mouth. He looked down, and she was watching him, the seductive smile playing on the lips that were around his cock. She knew what she was doing to him, and she loved it. She loved making him lose control, and he found that he did too.

He pulled her up to him, to lay her across his chest and hold her. He didn't care if she tasted like him, hell it was a turn on for him if anything. In between kisses, he praised her. "Good girl… so good… I'm so proud of you… I love you."

He rolled her onto her back and decided to return the favor. He didn't know much about what to do when he got down between her legs, he was going off of a dirty magazine that had been passed around the dorm by Regs. He didn't take her panties off, he rather liked them on her. He rubbed her over the lacy parts that covered her and watched her squirm. At first, he wasn't sure if she was ticklish or he was doing it right.

Then she begged him to touch her, and he figured he must be doing it right. He moved the cloth to the side and ran his hand over the neatly trimmed area. The magazines he looked at didn't look like this, but he found that this was so much sexier than the hairy ones on the pages. One of his fingers slipped into the crevice that was shiny with moisture. Taking a note from her, he watched her face to get a sense of direction with pleasing her.

" _Right there… yes… oh, Severus"_  was whispered over and over again.

There was a spongey little nub closer to the top that got hard, and she seemed to come undone under his fingertips when he rubbed it. More so when he applied pressure. He wondered… he licked it softly and watched her body melt under him. If she had a voice, he knew she would be mewling for him. His tongue slipped down further towards the source of the moisture that was coating his chin. It was soft and warm, and when he pushed his tongue in just the slightest bit, her thighs clamped down around his head. She was the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted up to this point. Her smell was divine, but her taste put together the Amortentia of his senses. He smelled this before when passing by one of Slughorn's simmering cauldrons and knew precisely what it was. It was her.

A few more swipes of his tongue going in and out of her and his nose rubbing against her hard little nub and she tensed under him and shook. He wouldn't have known precisely what it was that was happening until he felt her gush against his tongue. He caught it greedily and lapped it up as best he could. She came! All because of him! He wanted to strut around the room and beat his chest with pride.

It was her turn to shower him with kisses and lick his face clean. He laid beside her that night in the Room of Requirement celebrating his birthday by exploring each other's bodies but not joining fully. It was the best they could get for the moment until he could ask for her hand in marriage. He loved her, and she loved him, that's all they needed for now, and he felt like they could make it through anything now. Joined in fire, body, and soul.


	37. Chapter 37

Severus walked around the campus with a pep in his step, his head held high and a chip on his shoulder. Nothing could ruin his mood now that he had expelled some of the built up sexual tension. His friends cheered and pat his back or shook his hand when he came back to the dorm. They sang 'For he's a jolly good fellow' and Mulciber had hand made a small piece of paper that had 'Man Card' written on it as a joke. When he told them they didn't go all the way but instead had done other things he wasn't going to tell them, Mulciber snatched the card back.

Juliet's friends squealed and tried to get her to tell them everything when she got back to her dorm. She told them the same thing Severus told his friends, that they didn't go all the way, but it was none of their business. In classes or around the castle Severus would give her a knowing smirk or whisper in her ear about that night in the Room of Requirement, and she would blush madly. He loved making her squirm and fidget around when they were in public, she would usually smack his arm without any anger in it and tell him to tell her more.

Remus smelled her before he saw her, another perk of Lycanthropy he acquired. Before Severus' birthday, she smelled of vanilla, parchment, and natural teenage hormones. Now she smelled like pure sex, and it was driving him crazy. Sure there was a lot of that in the castle, they were teenagers for Merlin's sake, but it was her scent that made the wolf in him want to follow the trail. It spurred something in him he hadn't felt before, and he didn't know how to cope.

It didn't help that the full moon was so close either, it's when he could hardly think human and went more off of instinct. He'd yet to tell his friends, and they were getting suspicious to the point where they followed him on the map once. If it weren't for Headmaster Dumbledore for interfering and sending them back to their dorms, he might have been caught. He was dragging out this lie for a solid six years now and knew his time was running out before they caught on. Since they made that Marauders Map he knew it was only time before it all came crashing down around him.

* * *

He needed Juliet's help because he didn't know how to tell his friends and hoped she would help him. He found her alone in the Library and took the opportunity to speak with her. "Okay, you were right." He said as he sat down next to her.

'Well I know that but about what exactly?' she smirked and wiggled her brows at him.

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "About telling my friends about… you know."

She put down her star chart and scowled at him. 'You haven't told them yet?!'

"Didn't I just say that?" he hissed.

'Don't get smart with me!'

"You're right. I'm sorry." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know what to do."

'What if you tell them one at a time? That way they can help and support you in telling the others.' She shrugged and picked up her chart again, holding it over her head and twisting it. She hadn't gotten any farther on her project than the time she set the whole thing on fire.

"But which one?" he asked and looked up at her chart with her, leaning in to get a better look.

"I don't know your friends, Remus. You do. Pick the one that seems the most reasonable and open-minded." She whispered and twisted the map around again then set it down to pick up her quill.

"Well… I guess Sirius is the most mature-"

She blew raspberries with her tongue and made a face.

"Okay, that probably wasn't the best word to use when describing him. He's the most… open minded?" he finished with a question.

She laughed and put her hand to her forehead and leaned on the table with that elbow. "Really?"

"I'm not here to defend him or anything, I'm here for help. What the hell do I say?" he groaned.

She bit her lip and looked up to the rafters in thought. 'Why don't you tell him… the truth.'

He scowled at her and sat up straight. "Oh is that all?" he said sarcastically with narrowed eyes.

'Start from the beginning. Tell me. Come on, let's practice. I'm Sirius, I love Quidditch, long walks around the lake, breaking girls hearts and wearing enough cologne for three boys.' She sat up and flicked her hair back in a Sirius mannerism.

Remus snorted and started to laugh. Madame Pince shh'd him from her desk by the door. He waved in apology and turned back to Juliet. She waved her hand for him to continue. "Oh, you were serious."

'Yes, I'm serious Sirius.' She put on a fake frown and scrunched her face as best she could.

"Ahem. Alright… Sirius… Mate… can you stop making that face at least? Thanks. Uh… it started when I was a kid…" Remus went on in a shaking voice.

Juliet stopped him and corrected some things for him to say instead to make it less traumatic for them. He could fill them in on the gory details later when they asked those questions.

"That actually took a load off my shoulders. Finally being able to tell someone. Thank you, Juliet. Seriously, thank you. But what if… what if they-"

'Then they aren't your friends, are they? Do you really want to be friends with people who can't accept you for you? I know you think this is a lonely life for you Remus, but it's not going to be. I swear it. You'll always have me.' She wasn't going to let him start thinking negative now that he was finally getting the courage to tell his friends. She knew the future, and she knew they would accept him and his lycanthropy, but she could very well come out and say it.

"I wish I could hug you. At least without getting set on fire or a black eye." He held his arms out for her to make the decision.

She smiled at him 'You know I can't Remus. What you can give me is some help on this damn project that you said you would help with.'

He grabbed her notebook and started to read through it all while she went back to her charts. After an hour he reached for her quill and began to write his own notes in it. "You're missing something in your equation."

'If you say human error  _I'll_ set you on fire myself.' She pointed her wand at him jokingly.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He smiled. "You're on the right track that the stars will be in the same position year after year but twenty-one years is a huge jump. You forget that we have a leap year." He pushed the notebook back over to her to see his new calculations.

She grabbed it and picked it up with wide eyes. "Son of a bitch…" she whispered.

"My mother is a saint, thank you very much." He joked.

She snatched the quill back from him and scribbled away under his own notes. Then he stood and helped her hold one of the star charts open while she measured with her protector, ruler and quill the new star positions. That's where Severus found her, well found them when he walked into the Library looking for her. He had gotten caught up with a project for his Apprenticeship and told her he would be gone most of their study period. He didn't think she would be using that time with Remus.

"See that? Polaris and Ursa Minor are WAY too close to each other now." Remus pointed the ruler to the two stars she had just quilled in.

'That's because you got Pollux over there in three spots.' She signed back while shaking her head.

"I tried to clear it up, but you ran out of ink remover." He said and held up a small empty bottle.

'You mean you used it all. It doesn't matter- everything else is right. I just need to finish the rest of this, it's almost time for-'

"For you to meet with Snape." He sneered like he always did when Severus was brought up in conversation.

'Yup.' She mouthed as she started to roll some of the charts that were dry. 'And you need to go tell him.'

"Can't you come with me?" he whined.

'No! This is your thing, he isn't going to believe it if I tell him.' She shook her finger at him and continued packing.

"What about after? Where will you be?" Remus started panicking.

'You know where I'll be.' She didn't even look up at him as she put the stopper on her ink bottle tightly.

"I wish you weren't with him…" Remus pouted and crossed his arms. "I can't ever see you."

'You see me all the time. What have we done for the last hour?'

"You know what I mean. I don't like the way he treats you, you deserve better." He leaned his hip against the table while he watched her pack. She had a ridiculous amount of charts that she tediously packed by hand and one by one.

'Oh yeah? Better how?' What do I deserve?' She gave him a knowing look.

She looked up past Remus and saw Severus making his way over to her with a none to happy face. She smiled and waved at him. Once she finished putting her things away, she slung her bag over her shoulder and plucked her ruler from Remus' hand. 'I'll see you in class tomorrow. Now go tell him.'

She met Severus in the center of the Library and greeted him with a hug and kiss. Remus watched on with longing eyes and muttered to himself. "You deserve a guy like me…"

* * *

When they left Severus had asked Juliet what Remus wanted, and she told him that it was just about her personal project he was helping her with. He had seen the things she was signing to him, and none of them looked like they were about her project, but he didn't ask her more about it. Instead, he wanted to skip dinner in the Great Hall and have her for a meal instead of in an empty classroom.

Throughout the week he had kept a watchful eye on Remus, especially how Juliet reacted towards the other boy. She would mouth words of encouragement to Remus and smile softly at him. He didn't like it one bit. Then he remembered the last time he had seen them interact with each other. He had been so caught up with his birthday and his own libido that he had nearly forgotten the small gift bag that Remus had given Juliet late that night. He was starting to connect the dots in his mind.

He saw them in front of the store during the Hogsmeade trip, when Remus had his arm around Juliet, then he heard him tell her he'd seen her lacy things, then he gave her the bag. The son of a bitch took his girlfriend shopping for intimates and bought them for her. Then she wore them for Severus! Did she wear them for Remus too? She never answered his question that night about her virginity, and now Severus' mind had red flags going up. He was going to kill Remus. The only one who spoiled his girlfriend and looked at her lingerie was HIM!


	38. Chapter 38

Juliet had gotten up early on a Saturday morning to take Corvus out for training towards Hagrid's hut. Severus was to meet her there with breakfast, but she wanted to get out before the Quidditch players went flying. She didn't expect Remus to be waiting outside her dorm with a little box. It looked like he hadn't slept the whole night, his eyes were red, and his hair was sticking up in all directions. His clothes looked like they had been worn for awhile but he gave her a bright smile.

"Hey!" he said a bit too loudly.

'Hello…' she quirked a brow at him. 'Are you okay?'

"Of course!" He smiled a bit wider.

'You're drunk.' She gave him a knowing look but smiled.

"No, I am kind of hungover though." He said a little too loudly.

She laughed as Corvus squawked at him and ruffled his feathers. She had put him on her shoulder to hide in her hair where he thought it was safer. 'Come on, before you wake up everyone in the tower.'

He followed her towards the staircase. "I came to say thank you… for helping me with my friends."

'I'm proud of you! What happened?' she signed eagerly. She didn't have to sign for him since he could hear her whispers but habits were hard to break. They made it to the main doors, and he opened it for her.

"Well told Sirius first like you said. He didn't believe me, so I had to prove it." He ran a hand through his hair as the cold morning air hit them. "Fuck me… why is the sun so bright?" he squinted as he looked out onto the grounds.

'Prove it how?'

"I can control… some things." He said awkwardly and didn't look at her.

'Don't tell me you start fires too.' She smiled.

"What?"

'Nothing, it was a lame joke.' She shook her head.

"I can control some of the changes I go through at will. It's easier when it's closer to the full moon or when I drink." He imitated drinking a shot of whiskey.

'But it takes you a lot to get drunk. Oh, I see where this is going.' She shook a finger at him mockingly.

"Sooooooo I changed my eye color and grew my nails and teeth out. At first, he thought it was a cool transfiguration trick." He explained as if it was nothing.

'No way! Show me!' she sighed excitedly.

He stopped walking and turned to her. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and exhaled through his nose. He tilted his head slightly, and she could hear him growl. He opened his eyes, and they were no longer brown, now they were gold and much larger, he drew his lips back, and his canines were much longer now. He showed her his fingernails that were suddenly darker in color, long and sharp. Juliet leaned in to get a better look at his face and mouthed 'wow.'

'That is so cool!' she signed and smiled at him.

He was surprised he got that reaction out of her, anyone else would have been scared out of their minds. He felt his chest tighten at her reaction, she genuinely didn't care that he was a werewolf. It made him like her even more, fondly smiling back at her with sharp teeth.

"He didn't believe me, then he saw me rip a chair in half, so I got the point across." He closed his eyes and shook his head back and forth to change his eyes, teeth, and nails again.

'Jesus Christ! Is Sirius okay?! That poor chair.'

"He's fine. I couldn't fix the chair. I got a bunch of splinters if it makes you feel any better." He showed her his palm, and she could see two large ones sticking out of his palm.

'Oh, Lord… give me your hand. Stay still.' She stopped walking and pulled her wand out.

He held it open between them face up, and she slowly and carefully trailed her wand tip across his hand. The splinters came out slowly one by one and then she did the other hand.

"It feels warm… I like that… I like your hair… you smell nice." He stared at her longingly.

She blew a raspberry at him. 'You're still drunk.'

"Nuh-uh."

"You know how I know you're drunk?" she whispered without looking up at him.

He smirked and leaned a bit closer. "How?"

"You're not wearing any shoes, Remus." She pointed her wand at his feet, and he looked down.

He looked down and started laughing, "Alright you win."

Her bangs escaped from behind her ear and covered part of her face, on instinct Remus reached up to tuck it away, but Corvus' beak came out from somewhere in her hand and pecked at his hand. "Ah!"

'Sorry, he doesn't like anyone but Severus. You know about the touching Remus.' She explained.

"S'alright. I forgot the… rules." He said sadly.

She shook her head, put her wand away and started to walk again. 'You're not cold?' she asked as she tightened her jacket around her, looking at him in just a rumpled shirt and jeans.

"Not at all. My body temp runs higher than normal, remember?" he teased her about the night she beat him at drinking. Another reason he liked her, she proved herself against him and to a wolf that was a good quality for a potential mate. Bringing his wolf side out spurred on the wolf instincts and right now he wanted to kiss her.

'So keep going, you convinced Sirius then he helped you talk to James and Peewee.'

"Peter. His name is Peter. I'm going to start calling him Peewee now though, thank you." He laughed. "Yeah, they were confused then when I answered all their questions they figured that I'm the same mate they've always known since our first year."

'That's great Remus!' she clapped her hands together, and they stopped in an open area of grass between the Quidditch pitch and the Lake.

"I wanted to give you this because you helped me… and you deserve it." He said shyly and held the box out to her.

It was small, square and blue with a silver bow on the top. 'Aw, you didn't have to.' She took the gift he shoved in her hands, and she opened the lid.

"It's nothing much. I uh… uh… I see you rub your hands a lot. Like they're sore- so I uh figured cuz you sign a lot that they must hurt pretty often." He rubbed the back of his neck and blushed.

She tucked the box under one arm and opened the jar that she pulled out of it. She put it up to her nose and smelled it. 'It smells good enough to eat.' She joked it smelled of honey and something else… almost like the Herbology greenhouse.

"Yes you do- I mean yeah I guess. It's a paste that you rub on it helps ease the soreness. My mum sends it to me all the time to help with… you know the few days after the full moon. I got a few extra tubs and thought you might like it. To rub all over you- your hands. On your hands." He was glad that he didn't get caught looking at her chest. "Just don't use too much at once, it'll numb the hell out of your hands."

'Thank you, Remus, it's very thoughtful of you.' She put it back in the box for later.

"I uh… wanted to ask you-you can say no- but I wanted to ask if you would go to Hogsmeade with me again. This time I'll let you buy that swimsuit-"

**BOOM**

A bright flash of red hit Remus, and he went flying away from Juliet about eight feet. She jumped, and Corvus cried out and took off from her shoulder. Shooting up and circling the sky above them. Severus' shadow descended on her, and his hand was around her throat before she saw him.

"I know  _everything._ " He pulled her closer to him and put himself nose to nose with her.

'Nothing happened-'

" **Do. Not. Lie. To. Me.** " He growled with his upper lip curled. "I saw his arm around you that day, I heard him talk about your intimates, I saw him give you the bag, he just said he wants to take you again.  _Did you fuck him?_ "

"No! You know I haven't been with anyone!" she mouthed.

Remus had gotten hit with a giant ball of fire that Severus had sent wandlessly his way. The force of it sent him flying, and he immediately stopped, dropped and rolled to put it out. He got up and saw Severus with his hand around Juliet's throat, his territorial instincts kicked in, and he charged at Severus.

He was ready for him. Severus let Juliet go and carefully pushed her aside to keep her safe. Remus was met with Severus' fist, both boys starting to brawl in the middle of the field. "I told you to keep your hands off of her!"

"She isn't your property!" Remus yelled back.

"I'll claw your eyes out for even looking at her!" Severus lunged at him and tried to scratch at his eyes, instead cutting his cheek since he missed. "No one buys my girl panties but me!"

Remus suddenly knew what this was about and grinned evilly at him. "What are you more upset about? That I saw them first or that I picked them?"

"I'll fucking kill you!" Severus pulled back his fist, and it started to smoke, it was surrounded by fire moments later. He swung it had at Remus who was barely able to pull back to avoid it.

"What kind of dark mag-"

A loud whistle was blown, and Madam Hooch swooped down on a broom with the Gryffindor Quidditch team. His friends ran over to help him up from the grass. "TWENTY POINTS FROM SLYTHERIN AND GRYFFINDOR!" she yelled and stood between them.

Madame Hooch pointed to Juliet, "Ollivander, what happened?"

Severus had looked over at her and tilted his head. She looked at Madame Hooch and bit her lip then raised her wand. 'Lupin attacked Severus.'

Remus was looking at her with a hurt expression. His friends scowling at her and Severus, wanting to draw their wands to finish the fight.

"Mr. Lupin, detention tonight with me in the trophy room. Miss Ollivander, get Mr. Snape to the Hospital wing, he's bleeding." She ordered and blew her whistle again for people to clear out.

Severus walked over to Juliet and put his arm protectively around her as he looked over his shoulder to Remus. "Good girl." He told her and smirked back at the raging Gryffindor.

"Not now, Remus. We'll get him later with the map. Too many eyes here." Sirius pulled his friend by the shirt towards the Quidditch pitch for practice.

* * *

Severus took her to an empty classroom in the dungeons, wanting to get away from everyone roaming the castle. She was still carrying the gift that Remus had given her and Severus snatched it out of her hands as soon as he slammed the wards down on the door.

"He's been giving you gifts, taking you shopping, inviting you out again." He ranted, and she didn't dare correct or interrupt him. "You told me you didn't want him, but that's changed since he's bought you, hasn't it?"

'NO! I don't want him- I only want you!'

"You want a man with coin to spend on you. I thought you were different." His voice was angry, but his eyes were filled with hurt.

'I don't want that. I don't care about that. He was only carrying my bags that day, he never saw me in them. When you hit him he still had my bag, then we came back, and I forgot, so he gave it to me in astronomy class.' She rushed to sign the words before he wouldn't let her speak.

"He said that he saw you in them. That he picked them out." He growled, now towering over her.

'He was just trying to upset you! We're just friends I swear!' she shook her head.

"Did you fuck him?"

'Of course not!' she mouthed. 'You know I didn't!'

"Do I?" he sneered.

'You asked me in the room of requirement!' she signed angrily.

"And you avoided the question then." He sneered down at her like she was dirty.

Her hand came up to slap him, but he caught it this time. Pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around her. "Oh, no Angel, not this time. You will tell me everything."

"I'm telling you the truth. I haven't been with anyone. If you don't believe me cast the fucking charm." She whispered angrily, her eyes were filled with tears, and she was struggling to get away from him.

He pulled his wand out and tapped her on the head while muttering the charm. He stepped back and saw the white glow around her flash, pulse then slowly fade away. She was a virgin.

'Do you believe me now or are you going to call the test a liar too?' she crossed her arms defiantly and pouted her bottom lip.

"You still hang around him when I told you not to-" he shot back, but she interrupted him.

'You told me no touching. There hasn't been. If there's a spell for that to go right ahead!' Her hands were moving in a very Italian manner with her fingers pinched together and shaking at him. She was daring him to try her.

"And this?!" he tore open the top of the box and pulled out the jar.

'He gave it to me for my hands, because they cramp sometimes. He was just trying to help me.'

He roared something incoherent at the offending jar of muscle relaxing paste and threw it as hard as he could at the opposite wall. He spun back around to her and yelled, "You asked him for something instead of me?!"

'Of course not! He noticed that I rub my hands sometimes.'

"I could have made you something! I'm a fucking Potions Apprentice, what he gave you is shit! It's for quidditch sprains, not carpal tunnel! Next time you come to me for your needs- not him, not anyone else. I don't care if it's a spare quill or change for a galleon, you come to me. Do you understand?" he scolded her as he walked back over to her.

'Fine.' She crossed her arms over her chest. 'I didn't ask him for it, but in the future, I will ask only you for anything.'

"I don't want you around him. He wants you for himself."

'After today he probably won't ever want to talk to me again thanks to you.' she shot back.

His hand shot out and wrapped around her neck again. " **GOOD.**  He can't have you, he never will. You are mine. Understand?" he shook her a bit to make her look up at him.

'Yes.'

"Do you? Because it seems like I've had to repeat myself. You will not go near him, you will not speak to him and you won't even fucking look at him. Do you hear me?" His voice was firm, and his hand was tightening around her through with every rule he made. He kissed her, using his other hand to cup her cheek.

When he pulled back, her lips were swollen, and her breathing was erratic. " **Do you hear me?** "

"Yes, Demon."

He released her throat and put one hand on her waist, still cupping her cheek with the other hand. His thumb rubbed her skin back and forth affectionately. "Do you love me?"

"Yes." She mouthed.

"Tell me. I need to hear it." He closed his eyes for a few moments and looked at her.

He needed her, the hurt she saw in his eyes made all of her anger and frustration with him dissolve. He was fragile right now, and she finally understood why he was so angry. He was afraid of losing her.

"I love you, Severus." She breathed then kissed his lips softly.

"Again." He ordered and closed his eyes as he rested his forehead to hers.

"I love you, Severus."

"Don't stop. Say it again. Over and over again. I need to hear it." He ordered in between kisses.


	39. Chapter 39

With the events that happened the day before Severus couldn't wrap his head around it. To say he slept on it would have been a lie. He stayed up the whole night making the hand cream for Juliet in the potions lab. Being an apprentice meant he had access to places and things other students did not. At least down there in the labs.

He was angrily grinding ingredients into a paste, chopping things roughly and stirring with force. The day's events kept replaying in his mind about Remus wanting his girlfriend. He couldn't believe she accepted his gift. Then the jerk invited her to Hogsmeade, and that's when he lost his temper. Would she have said yes? The thought of her possibly saying yes wasn't the cause if his state of mind.

It was how he had treated her. He'd seen that look she had on his mother's face for years. It wasn't hate; it was sadness that she upset him. He wasn't upset with her; he was upset with the situation. That was a lie; he was upset with her until she proved her virginity.

He was an ass. Plain and simple. He jumped to all the worst conclusions about her, and she still loved him. He was no better than his father! After all the hurt he's seen his father cause his mother, he had stooped as low as the man he swore he'd never become. He had to make it up to her, no matter the cost.

It was part of the reason he was in the potions lab at 2 in the morning making the best damn pain relief cream in the world. Most of his time was actually spent researching a new cream especially catered for her. It would have all the soothing properties with none of the numbing or tingling. For its scent, he used things that reminded him of her. Vanilla bean for her sweetness, rainwater for the cozy days they spent watching it and just a hint of new parchment for their times in the library. He couldn't stop the Slytherin in him for adding a bit of his own soap that he made for himself to it as well. Making sure that she smelled a bit like him too.

When he finished making the paste turned cream, he found the nicest jar he could in the potion's lab instead of the cheap plastic one Remus gave her. He called it 'Carpe Diem' or "Seize the Day," it was a play on words since its purpose was to soothe the aches and release tension. He took in a deep breath of it before tightening the lid on the jar; it really did smell like her. He was proud of the fact that he had succeeded in creating the cream for her as well as essentially recreating her scent by memory. He made a jar for himself as well, what he'd do with it was his own business.

After he conjured a Slytherin green ribbon and a little black box, he packed the present and sat on a stool staring at it. It wasn't enough. After everything, he'd put her through with his sharp tongue and brute actions he knew she deserved better. He had told her father that she made him want to be a better person and it wasn't a lie. He wanted to give her the world, but he couldn't afford it. The least he could do now was spoil her with what he was able to. So instead of cleaning up the lab, he got to work on making her other things.

She had proven to him that another boy wasn't going to steal her, but he would be damned if it was himself that pushed her away. All he ever wanted was to be lost in her, not be lost without her. The Carpe Diem cream was a start for her aching hands but what of a lotion? Shampoo and conditioner for her hair? A new perfume? Soaps for her to bath in? For a bubble bath? He wasn't getting any sleep tonight, but he didn't mind one bit. When he told her that he would provide her with all she ever needed he had to back it up.

* * *

She found him outside of her common room the next morning, looking tired but fresh for the new day. He had a Quidditch match against Gryffindor that afternoon and decided to skip out on breakfast in the Great Hall to be with her before the game. He was holding something behind his back with one hand and a flower in the one she could see. The green dahlia-like the one he gave her over the summer. He tilted his head and gave her lopsided smile in greeting.

She rushed up to him and accepted the flower before kissing him. She always had to stand on the very tips of her toes and reach as high as she could to kiss him when he was standing. He would wait until she was at the extent of her reach before he finally bent down to kiss her.

'It's not fair. I swear you get taller every time I see you!' she smiled brightly at him.

"I have a gift for you." He said softly and kissed her again.

Her eyes lit up. "Really?" she mouthed and bounced on the balls of her feet trying to peek behind him.

He hummed in agreement and tucked her bangs behind her ear. "Yes, but to get it you have to come with me to the fourth floor." She smiled and nodded immediately and grabbed his free hand to hurry him along.

When they got to the tapestry of the muggle version of a mermaid holding a pitcher of water he stopped her. "Age of Aquarius." He rolled his eyes at the password, but the way was opened for them.

He pushed her forward to step in and followed closely behind her. That morning he threatened the password out of a Hufflepuff Prefect to get access to the Prefect bathroom on this side of the castle. This was one of the smaller ones that's why it was less popular. Instead of the pool style layout, it was more of a hot tub. The taps were still plenty in number, and there weren't any creepy stain glass creatures judging you. It was built into the floor, and you have to step down to get into it.

"Wow." He heard her whisper as she looked around.

"I thought you would like a private spa day." He was standing behind her, bent down and speaking into her ear. He brought the gift basket he ended up making for her and brought it around to her front, circling her with his arms.

'You got this for me?' she signed before taking the basket and picking up one of the jars.

"I  _made_  them for you. You said your hands were hurting… I made cream specifically for you." He said softly in her ear.

"Soaps and lotions too!" she whispered with excitement.

"Mmm Hmm…." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and buried his nose in her hair. "Some shampoo and conditioner, bubble bath and perfume… everything you need."

She put the basket on the bench next to them and twisted in his arms to kiss him. "Thank you."

"I need to apologize for yesterday. I shouldn't have accused you like that or yelled at you." He rested his forehead against hers and spoke softly.

"You don't have to-"

"Yes, I do. My biggest fear is someone stealing you away from me. After everything I fought through to finally have you for myself I was foolish in thinking that you would want someone else. Shh… let me finish." He put his thumb to her lips and caressed the bottom one. "It took a long time for me to realize that you chose me out of all the other arseholes. You've more than proven to me that you want me just as much as I want you. My fear isn't that someone will steal you away anymore… it's that I'll be the one to push you away. I need to be better-  _do better_  for you."

She watched him with concerned eyes that softened the more and more he spoke. She ran her fingertips across his cheeks, pushing his hair away from his face and behind his ears.

"I need to apologize for yesterday… when I lost my…" he paused to search for the words.

"Temper?" she suggested.

"Sanity. When I lost my sanity and now… I'm here to clean the mess I've made. I am sorry for taking my temper out on you and raising my voice. It wasn't right." He finished and waited for her to either accept his apology or tell him to fuck off.

"Oh, Demon…" was all that she said before tangling her fingers in his hair and kissing him deeply. "Now the spa day…" she smiled and started to untuck his shirt.

He smirked at her and lifted his arms for her to take his shirt off. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist me."

He ran the hot water, put in the right amount of bubble bath and watched her undress before him. He'd seen her naked many times not but not all at once. It was either just her bottoms or just her top and watching her peel off her clothes slowly for him was so much more erotic. He stood before her just as bare with his erection pointed right at her. She bit her lip as she looked down at him, then took a step away and jumped into the tub before him, splashing some water out of the sides.

He followed her right in and dunked his head. When he came up and pushed his hair back, she was on him with her lips and hands. He was happy that she accepted his apology and even more thrilled that she liked the things he made her. The boost to his confidence was very much needed. He needed to know that she loved what he provided for her and she was doing just that.

She pushed him back until his legs hit the built-in seat of the tub. He sat down and put his arms up on its edges and let her take the lead. She straddled him, and he tilted his head back and moaned. This was the first time their bodies were pressed together with no clothing. His cock was pointed up and pressed between both of them, twitching madly for attention from her.

Her lips were all over his chest, and her hands were rubbing his shoulders. She grabbed the shampoo and started to lather it in his hair first, then the conditioner and soaps. 'It smells so good! Thank you, Demon. I love it.'

When it was his turn to wash and bathe her, she turned around and sat in his lap facing away from him. He spun her back around for the soap part; he would be damned if he wouldn't watch the bubbles on her chest as he scrubbed them. Thoroughly. He had to make sure they were clean. From germs.

After several minutes of him lathering her breasts and staring at them, she finally laughed and swatted his hands away. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him after whispering her love for him. He cupped her bottom and pulled her closer to him, wrapping her legs tighter around him. When she ground against him, he bit down on her neck firm yet didn't break the skin. As if warning her to stop before he snaps.

" _Please…_ " she begged.

She knew exactly what she was doing to him, and he smirked at the fact. She wanted him as much as he wanted her but if he was going to ask for her hand, he needed to keep her intact. The sights and sounds of her begging for him was a major turn on for him.

"You know I won't do that until you are truly mine," he asked with a husky voice.

The water was the perfect temperature for them, the steam almost like smoke as it hovered over the water. The bubbles surrounding them and sticking to her skin, the scent of her in the soaps that he made.

She bit her lip and nodded sadly, pouting down at him from her spot in his lap. 'But I want you now.'

He reached his right hand down between them and spread her lips with his index and ring finger, using his middle to tease her. Her mouth opened, her breath hitched, and her eyes closed tight. "Don't you want to be mine?"

She hissed "Yesssss." Then dug her fingers into his shoulders.

"Then you will wait for me. Do you understand?" he loved the way she reacted to his voice, especially when he told her what to do. He knew she liked for him to take control and he loved doing it.

"Yes."

"Yes what?" he stopped to wait for her to answer.

"Yes, Demon." She whined and wiggled to keep touching her.

He slipped his fingers down a bit more and teased her opening. "Good girl." His middle finger curled in her as his thumb rubbed circles where it used to be.

She was winding up tighter and tighter, and he knew how easy it was to send her over the edge. His voice was always just the thing that she needed, and he was happy to oblige. "I will make you mine. You will carry my last name. Juliet Snape…. Then everyone will know who you belong to." He was growling as he kissed her chest, using his free hand to pinch her nipples.

She gripped the back of his neck with one hand and braced herself on his chest with the other. Bringing his mouth to hers and sucking on his tongue. He pulled back and let her bury her face in his neck. "Then I will take you. Bend you over the first surface I can find and have my way with you. Over and over again until you're crippled and broken. So that I can build you back up again… I will tear you apart."

She tensed up suddenly, her legs squeezing him tightly and his fingers getting clenched tightly as he moved them in and out quickly for her. " _Severus…_ " his name whispered on her lips as she came. Her muscles finally released their tight hold on him, and she went limp in his arms.

"Good girl." He rumbled. He knew she liked it when he praised her, she needed to know when she did good and bad, and he was sure to let her know. He held her close with one arm and the other hand now petting her hair and rocking her back and forth.

"I love you, Severus." She sighed into his neck and started to place light kisses.

"I love you, Juliet."

She finally recovered somewhat from her orgasm and reached her hands between them and gripped him tightly. She pumped up and down slowly at first, and he leaned his head back against the edge of the tub, his hands cupping her breasts. After a few minutes of teasing him, he stood up and sat her in his spot. He stood tall in front of her, his cock bounced twice in front of her as it twitched for attention.

He looked down at her and smirked while tilting his head like he usually did when he wanted attention. She moved forward and gripped him again, using both hands to hold him yet were still too small to wrap entirely around him. She told him it was his length and girth that was too large and not her little hands. Another boost to his ego that he greatly needed.

He reached down and palmed her breasts, bringing them up and closed around his length. She moved her hands away from him and replaced his on her chest to tighten them around him. He moved his hips back and forth, pumping into them and letting the soapy water lubricate them.

"Like this?" She whispered up to him. Wanting to make sure he was pleased with her.

"Yes. Oh yes. Good girl." He moaned back to her. His hair was wet and stringy, hanging in a curtain around his face as he watched the tip of his cock poke in and out of the valley of her chest. Her big eyes and lips looking up at him causing him to moan and increase the speed of his thrusts.

"So good… I can't wait to make you mine. To feel your tight little quim rip apart when I have you." He shuddered at the thought and felt her hand cup his sack. "Oh fuck me." He tilted his head back and put his hands on the back of her head to keep himself grounded.

He didn't expect her to take that as an order to take him in her mouth each time his cock peeked up. When he pulled back to thrust again, she released him with a small 'pop,' and he grunted each time. "Good girl… deeper. As deep as you can go. Just like that." He pulled himself away from her breasts and went straight for her mouth, using his position above her for the right angle.

They had never done it before with him standing and her on her knees or sitting. He was usually laying down with her hovering above him. In this position, she could take him deeper than before and being mute with the underdeveloped larynx meant she had no gag reflex. He pushed deeper to test her limits, and she took even more of him, making his eyes roll to the back of his head, and his knees go weak.

His head shot up to look straight ahead when he felt the slightest change in the surrounding temperature. Someone had entered the bath with them but was silent about it to not be caught. He didn't stop thrusting in and out of her mouth though, if he were to get caught, he might as well get his load off. Go big or go home.

His eyes looked around the room and he saw it near the corner. The steam in the room hung around nearly still in the air. The slight outline of someone invisible could barely be seen unless they shifted their position. He could see the outline of a head and shoulders and knew it was most likely a Marauder trying to get back at him for yesterday.

Remus had the map and the invisibility cloak from James. He saw Severus and Juliet making their way to the Prefect bathroom and ran after them to try and speak to Juliet about the day before. Hoping to deliver the payback that he thought Severus deserved and ultimately win Juliet over. Given Severus' actions, she obviously liked the show of dominance, and brute force that he always resorted to and Remus thought that if he did the same, she would be impressed.

What Remus didn't expect was seeing the girl he liked naked in a tub with his worst enemy and taking his cock in her mouth. When he rounded the corner to the main part of the room he paused at sight of them. Completely taken off guard at the sight of her in such a position and Severus with a much larger erection than one would have thought.

Severus' wand was in his hands in an instant, flicking a few quick, wordless jinxes at Remus. One freezing him in the spot he stood, the other silencing him. Juliet's eyes were closed as she applied suction while moving her head to meet his thrusts. Severus put his wand back on the edge of the tub and smirked at the invisible frozen Remus. He knew his spells hit on their intended target because his outline glowed briefly as the spells landed. He put his finger to his lips gave him a wicked smile then took one step to the right, moving her to turn with him. Giving Remus a better view of Juliet deep throating his cock.

"Good girl…" Severus said loudly knowing that Remus could hear them. Severus gripped his cock and pulled out of her mouth, outlining her lips with his tip. Her mouth followed, trying to retake him. "So eager… tell me who's cock you want."

"Yours!" she whispered and reached for him again.

Remus couldn't do anything other than stand there with his fists clenched and his teeth grit. He was frozen still and couldn't even blink as he watched the girl of his dreams beg for another man.

"Just mine? Tell me who's cock you think about at night. Tell me who's cock you want buried deep inside you." He hissed and tilted his head back when she started to lick and suck on his sack.

"Just yours, Demon. Only yours. I want it, please let me have your cock." She begged him and lapped his sack with her tongue.

"Uh-uh… You know how to ask for it." He tapped her on the cheek with it, making a small slapping noise. He could hear Remus breathing harder through his nose. This was the best day ever. Usually, Severus would have flown off the handle at someone seeing Juliet in her state of undress but seeing her like this with SEVERUS? Oh, this was the greatest thing he'd ever done for revenge.

"Please let me have your cock, Sir." She whispered, and Remus heard her loud and clear. If he could just close his eyes, he could pretend it was him she was begging for, but he was being tortured with the sight of her begging for Severus.

He didn't intend to be so rough with her, but his male territorial ego was taking over now, and he shoved his cock into her mouth as deep as she could take him. She was able to adjust quickly and used her hands to pump what her mouth couldn't reach. His pace was hard and fast, the water splashing up around them as he got closer.

"I can't wait to make you mine. Pounding away into your tight little cunt and making you mine. You'd like that wouldn't you Angel? Oh yes... I'll rip you apart with my cock-"

"Huge cock." She pulled him out to correct him then quickly put him back just as fast.

He chuckled, his deep voice echoing off the walls as he threw his head back and laughed. "Yes, my huge cock deep in you. Then making you cum for me again and again until you forget who you are. Then I will remind you every time that you are mine."

She nodded and looked up with begging eyes, he felt his sack tighten and his control slipping. "Then I will fill you with my seed. Do you want that? For me to fill your tight little womb?" His own voice and words were making him lose control.

She moved one of her hands down to play with herself, she was already close to the edge with his words. "Please fill me up!"

His hand was gripped tightly around his cock as it throbbed in front of her face. "Head up-mouth open." He ordered right before he came with a loud grunt, almost like an animalistic roar.

The first shot of his seed landed right on her tongue, dripping out of her mouth and down her chin. The next two shots were on her chest, and the last one came with such force it hit her cheek. He was breathing hard, muscles tense and his hand still pumping out the last few drops of himself on her. He'd never done that before, and it wouldn't be the last time either.

The sight of her covered in him kept him hard and ready for more. He rubbed his tip along the mess he made and smeared it around. When he went to her chin with his tip and rubbed it around her face, and she sucked his tip again, making him shiver and moan. Her hands worked in the stickiness on her chest and rubbed it all over.

"Hmm.. good girl… but now you're dirty again." He teased.

She smiled back up and him and whispered. "You'll either have to clean me again or spank me for being bad." She was challenging him, and he was going to accept.

He growled and grabbed her by the neck, picking her up and making her stand with him, giving Remus a full view of her. He kissed her hard, enjoying the taste of himself on her tongue and lips. Then he spun her around to face Remus fully and bent her over the edge of the tub.

His hand came down on her ass with a loud smack. His hand was cupped, so it was more of the noise than force. She didn't flinch, wince or cry in pain. He was proud of her so he did it again but a bit harder. Soon her bottom was bright red with his handprints and she was panting for him.

He knelt down and buried his face in her cunt, lapping his tongue roughly at her and making her squirm and push back against him. She was breathing heavily and spreading her legs farther apart for him while arching her back. This gave Remus the full frontal view of her face in ecstasy, breasts bouncing around, covered in Severus' essence and begging for Severus' cock. He could feel his heartbreaking and his own cock betraying him at the sight and smell of her so close.

"Such a good Angel… but a dirty girl…" Severus growled in between licks. He went back and forth from thrusting his tongue into her to sucking on her clit as he kept spanking her randomly. He kissed the inside of her thigh, sucking on the skin and making his mark dark red and puffy.

"Please! Please!" she begged.

"Please what?" he chuckled, knowing full well what she wanted.

"Please take me now! I need you now!" she was weeping for him now.

He stood up suddenly and rubbed his cock on her red cheeks, thinking long and hard about taking her now. What better way to rid each other of their virginity in front of the person he hated most in the world. He gripped her hips when she wiggled against him for friction.

"Unless you want me to bugger you, I won't be sticking my cock in you unless it's your mouth." He warned her and pressed the tip of himself against the tiny opening.

She gasped and pushed back against him at the pressure. That caught him off guard because he was under the impression that every female in the world was afraid of that. She was calling his bluff, and he knew it, he didn't want to hurt her and he knew that with his size that was definitely not going to end well for her. He trailed himself lower and skipped over the most tempting part of her.

He put her legs together tightly and rubbed himself against her slit, pushing in and out of her thighs that were firmly pressed together. This was the closest he'd ever get to the real her until they were married and it was already too much for him. His pace was fast and hard, his hips meeting her with loud smacks and splashes of water. Her head was tilted back far, and she was whispering his name over and over while he was stimulating her clit with each thrust. He looked down at his cock disappearing every time he pushed forward, it wasn't hard to imagine the real thing of being buried in her.

He grabbed a fist full of her hair and pulled her back to meet him as he bent forward. He bit a spot on her shoulder blade, reminding her that she was his and only his, sucking on the skin hard and releasing it with a loud 'pop.' He was covering her with his bite marks and kisses as much as he could.

Then she sobbed his name and tensed. He felt the gush of hot fluid slide around him and lubricate the path between her thighs even more. A few more thrusts and he came, shooting between her thighs and the white mess sliding down them. He bent forward and lightly kissed all the bright red marks he left on her shoulders and back in his moments of passion.

He bathed both of them since she was unable to move now that she was knackered. He carried her out of the tub and dried her off with a fluffy towel, making sure she spun around several times for Remus to see his marks on her. Then he helped put the lotion all over her body, having her face Remus as he applied it from behind. He loved this control and power so much.

He loved showing Remus who she belonged to and how she was with him willingly. He showed the other boy that he took care of her, kept her without want or need for anything other than himself. He dressed her then let her tend to him like he had done. When they left Severus paused next to Remus and spoke low so Juliet couldn't hear him.

"I hope you enjoyed the show. Hearing her beg for  **me.** Weep for  **me.** Not you."

* * *

When the Quidditch game came Juliet was bundled up in Severus' Slytherin scarf, her new cloak he had gotten her for Christmas and a large thermos of hot chocolate he brought her from the kitchens. She was cradling the small cup with both hands and sipping every other minute or so. Severus had placed the strongest warming charm on her that he could to protect her from the cold January weather.

The spells that Severus had placed Remus under had finally worn off enough for him to move and cancel them entirely. He wiped the tears that had escaped the corners of his eyes and pulled out his wand angrily then stormed out of the Prefect bathroom to make it to the game. It was still early, and not everyone had made it down to the pitch yet. Both Gryffindor and Slytherin teams were doing laps and some warm-ups as he marched over to the Slytherin seating where Juliet was sitting by herself.

He stood in front of her blocking her view. She jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance from under the invisibility cloak. "Why him?" he asked suddenly.

'What?'

"He treats you like shit, and yet you are all over him. Is that it? You want to be talked down to and tossed around?" he clenched his fists at his side and let his wolf side out with his fangs showing.

'Remus-'

"It's Moony now. Call me Moony." He growled at her, trying to imitate the way that Severus was talking to her.

'What? Since when?' she asked with a confused look and a tilt of her head.

"Since I decided to go on instincts and stop being the nice guy. You didn't answer the question, why him?" he asked again and this time pointed his thumb behind in towards Severus.

"Damn it, Moon Moon–"

" **MOONY.** "

"I told you I love him." She whispered angrily. "He treats me good and I want to be with him. Why can't you respect that? I know you're concerned, but you don't have to be."

"Concerned?! Of course, I'm concerned! He pushes you around and-"

"He loves me." She put her hands up to stop him.

He growled "If that's what you want. I'll show you what dominance is."

"What does that mean?" she asked quickly.

He turned and started walking back towards the stairs she came from. She whistled for him but he didn't turn to look at her, but she knew he could hear her no matter how much noise was going on.

"What the hell does that mean Moon Moon?!" she whispered as loud as she could.

A few minutes later Remus walked onto the Quidditch pit and signaled one of his friends to fly down. He was wearing full Quidditch gear and uniform. He had talked to James and Sirius into letting him play as a beater just for today's game. When they heard his plan, they agreed and pulled their starting beater after promising to make it up to him later.

Slytherin team watched as their line up changed suddenly. Laughing and saying that they still didn't have a chance to beat them with a different beater anyway.


	40. Chapter 40

This whistle blew, and the match started off with a swirl of crimson and clover. Juliet's friends had come to sit with her on the Slytherin side to cheer their friends and boyfriends on. The rest of the Slytherin group had sat around them or behind them for protection. Yaxley, Nott, and Avery sat with them and cheered on their friends. Avery had his arm around Sophie and was more focused on snogging her than anything. Yaxley was sitting in front of Amelia and was leaning back to rest against her legs, and she was hugging his head or rubbing his shoulders.

Remus was swinging the bludgers as hard as he could towards Severus whenever he had the chance. Juliet had forgotten her mug of hot chocolate on the seat next to her because she was too busy worrying about Severus. Her eyes kept shooting back and forth between Severus and Remus and held her hands covering her mouth. The boys kept telling her not to worry, that it was the name of the game and that Severus could take care of himself.

Juliet was the only one that saw it coming. Sirius snatched the bludger bat from a fellow teammate and gave Remus a quick nod. Severus was zooming in and out of players with the quaffle, looking to score. Remus started on one end of the pitch while Sirius charged from the other side. Severus was looking for a teammate to pass the Quaffle back to him after scoring once again. Juliet whistled as loud as she could to warn him. Severus barely heard her specific whistle for him and turned to look at the box she was sitting in, but it was too late. She was pointing behind him to duck. Severus turned to see Remus already swinging the bludger bat down on him.

The first bat hit him square in the jaw on the left side of his face, his head shot to the right, and the sickening noise of a broken bone was heard. The bludger bat hit Severus so hard it broke. Sirius had tried to hit Severus in the back of the head, but when Remus hit Severus both he and his broom shot upward and to the left a bit. Sirius ended up hitting Severus in the back of his left elbow, splintering his bat in the process. Severus lost grip of his broom and the force from both blows sending him flying off.

The whistle was blown, and everyone was screaming as he fell. He could faintly hear Juliet's whistle for him as he lost consciousness in the air. Mulciber and Rowle, being the Slytherin team's beaters, kicked it into gear as soon as they saw the "unnecessary roughness" that Hooch called out. They charged in with their own bats and started the retaliation assault. Regs was more concerned with catching his big brother from crashing into the ground from his free fall.

Regs never moved so fast on a broom in his life! He was the farthest person from Severus, but he was the first to get him. Severus was spinning wildly in the air as he was headed for a hard impact. Regs caught him in mid-air while jumping off of his broom then reuniting with it a few feet later. He slung Severus over the front of it and quickly, flew him down to the grass in the center of the field. Madame Pomfrey was rushing towards them with her medical bag and wand at the ready. Juliet was catching up to her quickly, she might be small, but she was fast.

Both witches slid on their knees in the grass when she reached Severus and Regs. Regs was holding onto his friend tightly, afraid to let him go and Juliet was already crying and pushing Severus' hair away from his face. The Quidditch match turned into an aerial brawl and Slytherin was winning. Gryffindors were falling out of the sky left, and right and now teachers were rushing out onto the field to help them. Mulciber and Rowle could be heard screaming out their battle cries as they swung their bats at everything colored red and gold. The Slytherins in the stands were casting their own spells at the nearby Gryffindors both sitting and flying.

Severus' face was swollen and already a sick looking purple color, his jaw cocked at an odd angle and his eye socket swollen and misshapen, a chunk of skin on his cheek was missing, and the bone was exposed. His left arm was bent the wrong way and blood had soaked through his uniform. Regs was letting Severus' body rest against him as Pomfrey waved her wand over him and Juliet fussed.

Remus wasn't knocked out of the sky he was thrown out by Lucius and Rowle. They had grabbed him by the uniform and flew as high as they could and tossed him back and forth to each other as they took their punches and kicks. Then they threw him downward as hard as they could. Rowle took off to find another Gryffindor to beat up while Lucius followed Remus down with his broom. When Remus hit the hard cold grass Lucius jumped off his broom a few feet up and landed on his chest with his boots.

Two teachers rushed him, and he put his hands up claiming that he didn't see him there and hurriedly jumped back on his broom to get back in the fight. Remus had the wind knocked out of him, and his eyes were nearly swollen shut. When Lucius landed on him two of his ribs were broken. He managed to turn his head enough to see Juliet worrying over Severus and not even noticing him. He blacked out shortly after that.

* * *

Severus was carried off the field on a magical floating stretcher with Juliet holding onto his good hand and sobbing for him. Pomfrey tried to console her as much as she could but was busy trying to float him back up to the castle and direct other students and staff on what to do with the other injured. Once in the Hospital Wing, the final diagnosis for him was a severe concussion, shattered elbow, broken jaw, shattered eye socket and cheekbone and three broken ribs on his right side from when Regs caught him.

She got to work on setting the bones and tried to get some of the swelling to go down. She kept him in a magically induced coma until she had time to get the proper potions for him. "He's not in pain while he's sleeping, dear." She assured Juliet and pat her on the hand then rushed off to the other students who were coming in quickly.

Severus' uniform was hanging over one of the chairs on the other side of the bed, he was laying on the covers naked from the waist up. He had bandages around his middle, his right arm in a cast and floating a few inches above him to limit movement. He had a series of large and small gashes on the left side of his face where the bludger bat hit. The largest one being on his cheek and had twenty-three stitches holding it closed. There were other stitches on his face and some held together with magical medical tape until Pomfrey could come back and heal him.

Juliet couldn't stop the tears from falling, and she was going through the tissues on his bedside quickly. Another box of tissues was given to her by Regs who suddenly showed up, he nicked it from another bed on his way to Severus'. "Here, love."

'Thank you.' She sniffled and took it from him.

"I'm sorry this happened. I should have seen what they were doing, but I was too caught up in the game." He ran a gloved hand through his hair, still fully dressed in his Quidditch uniform.

'It's not your fault Regs.' She signed just as they brought Remus in on another stretcher.

She stood suddenly and scowled at the sight of her " _friend_ " coming into the room. The air became immensely dense, and objects on the side tables and a few chairs began to shake and rattle around. Her magic was building up and her hair starting to rise on its end. It was getting very warm very quickly which made Regs swallow and cough uncomfortably. When the nearby window began to crack from the pressure he reached across the bed and grabbed her forearm of the hand holding Severus'.

"Not here, love." He shook his head and gave her a serious look. His voice was low in volume, but its deep tone was what got her to listen. Regs might be the goofball of the group, the last one to ask a serious question but he wasn't dumb.

Regs knew Severus well enough and watched his interactions with Juliet to understand what affected her and Severus. A deep firm voice and a slight touch had her to focus and listen. Whereas with Severus you needed a soft voice and constant contact. Juliet finally exhaled the breath she didn't realize she was holding and replaced it with a deeper one.

Regs released her arm and stood up straight. "Too many eyes. Focus on Snape. I've got to check on the guys.

Juliet nodded and looked back down to Severus. Regs reached over and pulled her chin to look at him. "Do not leave his side. Do not destroy anything until I get back." He paused and watched her nod.

"He needs you now more than ever.  **Do. Not. Leave. Him.** " He said firmly and scowled at her. He had one too many people to run around and find, he didn't need to worry about her setting fires to Gryffindor beds.

"Yes, sir." She whispered.

He let her face go, took one last look at Severus and strode quickly out of the Hospital wing to find his other friends. Juliet brushed his hair back unnecessarily for the hundredth time and kissed his forehead. She sat by his bed with his hand in hers and prayed.

* * *

Severus was woken up later that afternoon with a flick of Pomfrey's wand. He could open his eyes but not move any part of his body. Juliet's beautiful face came into his view and gave him a tearful smile. He wanted to reach out to her but couldn't. He couldn't see out of his left eye because it was swollen shut and his right eye was unfocused.

"Mr. Snape if you can hear me blink twice," Pomfrey instructed from the foot of his bed.

He didn't blink at all, he kept his eyes focused on Juliet. She cleared her throat and spoke louder. "Blink twice if you can hear me."

He didn't respond at all. Pomfrey looked over at Juliet with a worried frown. Juliet looked back down to Severus and signed. 'Can you hear anything? Blink twice for no.'

Severus blinked twice, and Juliet sobbed into his chest. Pomfrey put a hand on her shoulder and made her look up at her. "I need you to communicate with him. Tell him that he is petrified for medical purposes. That he was injured during the Quidditch match and that we did it to keep from hurting himself."

Juliet nodded and looked back down to Severus who had a worried look in his eyes. 'You were hurt during the Quidditch game. She petrified you so you wouldn't hurt yourself. You're safe with me in the Hospital Wing.'

Severus blinked once for yes.

"Tell him that I am going to release the spell now and that he needs to refrain from moving or speaking until I can assess his injuries." She ordered the younger girl.

Juliet looked back down and relayed the information to him. He blinked once in understanding and felt his limps release from their magical hold. The pain was instant, and he winced the side of his face he could control. Juliet squeezed his hand tightly and pushed his hair away from his face in an attempt to soothe his pain away.

He glowed different colors and internally and externally as her diagnostic spells were cast over him. Then Pomfrey asked Juliet to step back from him to give her space. She held her lit wand tip in front of his eyes and moved it back and forth for his eyes to follow. Then she checked inside of each of his ears and gasped when she saw the ear on the damaged side of his face. Apparently, there was something she didn't catch the first two evaluations, and now she was rushing away in a panic.

Severus looked up at Juliet with a pained expression, looking for answers. Juliet shrugged and mouthed 'I don't know.'

A few moments later the Headmaster, Slughorn, and McGonagall appeared with the nurse in charge. They were all speaking hushed words to each other and arguing over something while standing outside the curtained walls. Slughorn looked royally pissed off and wasn't taking whatever his coworkers were saying. Finally, the large man stomped his foot and pointed his finger in the air, and both the Headmaster and McGonagall nodded their heads in defeat. Which signaled Pomfrey to rush back out of the room to her office while they waited.

Severus squeezed Juliet's hand and rubbed his thumb back and forth on her skin. With her free hand, she wiped her tears away with a tissue. 'I'm scared Demon.' She signed.

He watched her bottom lip quiver and shook his head and held her hand tighter. He was trying to tell her not to be. The nurse returned with a short man that was wearing purple robes and a matching hat. The man had dark brown skin and short black hair with a goatee. He was carrying a large black bag and a large sharp silver looking tool that didn't fit in it.

He paused at the group of teachers who were just outside of the curtained area that was set up. "Poppy tells me he already knows sign language? Good… good… I'll let you know." He nodded his head and stepped into the little area set up for them and smiled softly then set his bag and instrument on the table.

'Mister Snape, good morning. I am Medi-Wizard Hector Mathews. I am an ENT Medi-Wizard, that means ear, nose, and throat. I work at St. Mungo's and I'm here to take a look at your left ear. Is that alright with you? Blink once please.' Hector signed to Severus and waited for his response.

Severus blinked once, and Hector moved around the bed to his damaged left side. With his wand, he looked inside of Severus' ear and gave an inconclusive hum. He stood back up and looked over at the staff again.

"He was knocked off his broom?" he asked.

"By a bludgers bat," Minerva said.

"To the  _face,_ " Horace added with venom towards Minerva. He'd been arguing with her since the match that she lacked total control of her House.

" _Really?_ " he asked with a surprised tone.

"Broke the bat and everything!" Albus added like it was the most exciting thing that happened recently.

Everyone scowled at him, and his smile vanished instantly. Hector shook his head and looked back down to Severus. 'There's major damage to your ear, and I need to go in for a deeper look. I know you're in pain right now, but I need you to hang in there a big longer alright?'

Severus blinked once at him. Hector looked over his shoulder at the teachers and signed quickly then winked. 'Hang in there, and I'll get you the good stuff eh?'

He grabbed his bag and the long scary looking tool and returned to his left side. He looked up at Juliet and smiled. "I need you to keep him calm and focused on you alright? This isn't going to be pleasant for him."

He looked down to Severus and held up a small bottle of numbing potion. 'I'm going to apply a few drops. You shouldn't feel anything but pressure and mild discomfort.'

She nodded and cupped Severus' good cheek and kissed his hand. Severus' head was turned towards Juliet, so Hector had better access to his ear canal. Hector put on a large leather and metal looking pair of goggles and clicked them a few times as if focusing their vision. The long sharp tool floated up to his hand, and he set it in his ear, and it slowly went in deeper and deeper. A few other devices came in and out of the bag, and when Hector hummed in thought, Severus flinched.

Deeper digging, a few healing spells, forceps and a scalpel was used, and Severus was in intense pain. Severus was unable to open his mouth since Pomfrey had magically kept it shut to keep his broken jaw in place, much like muggles would wire a broken jaw shut. Juliet hugged his arm and held his firm gripped hand in hers, making him keep his eyes on her. She kept mouthing that she loved him over and over again.

"Almost done… almost…" Hector sang as he worked quickly.

Severus tried his hardest to stay still but his legs were thrashing about the bed, and he was groaning through sealed lips. Hector finally pulled out of his ear and put the goggles up on his forehead.

He sighed heavily and gave Juliet a grim look then reached into his medical bag and pulled out two vials of high-grade medical pain potions. He uncorked them both and gave them to Juliet to pour into Severus' mouth. He took the opportunity to step out and speak to the teachers waiting, and they all gasped in shock.

When Hector knew the pain potions kicked in, he came back into the room and did a quick assessment of Severus' other ear and put a few drops of another potion in it. He waited a few minutes them got Severus' attention again.

"You should be able to hear me now, Mr. Snape," Hector said a little loudly.

Severus tilted his head back and forth a few times and blinked once. His balance was off, and his head felt stuffy, but he could hear now even though it was muffled somewhat.

"I'm sorry, but I have bad news. The hit that you received by a bludger bat damaged your ear severely. I tried to repair what I could, but the malleus, incus, stirrup, and anvil are completely…"

"FUCKED!" Horace butt in and it was his turn to get scowled at.

"He isn't wrong." Hector frowned and tilted his head a bit before continuing. "I tried to save the bones in your ear, but they just disintegrated when my magic or tools touched them. Unfortunately, they aren't like your arm or ribs, they can't be healed with skelegrow or a simple spell."

" _Hector,_ " Poppy warned and slapped her forehead with her hand.

"You should see the bludger bat…" Albus didn't realize he said that out loud until Poppy hit his arm.

" _Albus!"_  Minerva hissed.

"Oh… you didn't tell him? Why didn't you tell me?" he snapped at her. "Sorry Mr. Snape, I thought they advised you of your other injuries. I am sorry to say that the damage in your left ear cannot be healed. Over time you may gain  _some_  hearing, but I highly doubt it."

Juliet shook her head no in disbelief and buried her face in Severus' good shoulder. Hector continued, "The hearing in your right ear will return to normal once the swelling goes down. The drops I put in your ear will help speed along that process. Do not scratch it, rub it or put anything in that left ear until these drops are done. Three in the morning and three before bed." He pulled out a blue bottle with a rubber stopper on the top and set it on his bedside table.

Severus squeezed her hand and tilted his head enough to rest his good cheek on the top of her head. He gave a small nod to Hector and shut his eyes surprisingly calm.

Hector nodded and turned back to Poppy. "Alright, where's the werewo-"

" _HECTOR!_ " She scolded and shook her nodded her head towards the left of the curtain a few beds down.

Horace and Albus stayed behind and spoke to Juliet since she was looking at them and Severus seemed to be asleep. "Miss Ollivander, please tell Mister Snape that he has our condolences and we will be by to speak to him when he is better. We will reach out to his mother." Albus said sadly with his hands folded in front of him.

"Slytherin takes care of its own, Miss Ollivander. Please let  _Lord Prince_  know that those involved will be held accountable." Horace added while scowling at Albus. Horace knew precisely how to play the pureblood game, and Albus knew it.


	41. Chapter 41

Severus' mother was notified via owl that her son had been seriously injured and was now deaf in his left ear. Unfortunately, his father saw the owl and took it out on his wife. Tobias claimed that it was what Severus deserved for messing around with those heathens and all of his warnings came true. Neither of them went to the school to see their son.

Garrick had received Horace's owl before he got Juliet's. He quickly sent a quick letter via owl and was on his feet and through the floo in a matter of minutes. He didn't bother traveling through Albus' office, the bastard blocked his floo access for Garrick years ago when he thought it would be funny to send over three goblin strippers for his 80th birthday. Albus was still finding glitter in random places almost ten years later.'

When Garrick stepped out of the floo in a raging green flame Poppy jumped out of her chair, causing it to hit the shelf of potions behind it and knocking a few over. "Lord Ollivander!"

"Where is he?" Garrick asked seriously.

"The- the headmaster is most likely in his office." She stammered and moved around her desk.

"Not that idiot! Lord Prince. Where is he?" Garrick was getting impatient. Instead of waiting for her to answer him he moved towards the door.

Poppy moved in front of him with her hands up. "You can't just barge into the school, sir. You have to check in with the Headmaster!"

"Madame, I am head of the school board, and I have more pull around here than your silly little  _Headmaster_ does so I suggest you kindly….  **Get out of my way** ," Garrick warned her.

"But- but- Lord Malfoy is-"

"Lord Malfoy is no longer the School Board Governor. I am." Garrick pointed his thumb at his own chest as the floo flared green again.

A letter came out and floated over to him. "Oh, there it is." Garrick snatched the message out of the air and handed it to Poppy.

She took it and scanned it. Sure enough, it was a missive from the school board. Claiming Lord Garrick Ollivander was now the School Board Governor and had all rights as such. The letter he sent off to the Ministry was sent up the chain of hierarchy immediately when they saw whose name was on it. Poppy paled and moved out of his way quickly and called an elf to get the Headmaster as soon as Garrick left her office.

* * *

When he rounded the curtained area set up for Severus, he saw his daughter holding onto the boy as tight as she could. Severus' was laying with his head resting on his good side, giving Garrick full view of all the damage he received. Garrick had seen some sick things in his time, but this caught him off guard. The letter he received has said that Severus was injured in a Quidditch incident and that he was in for long-term recovery. He never expected to see this!

"Lord Prince… Juliet." Garrick announced himself before stepping in.

Juliet picked her head up and looked at her father with watery eyes. Severus couldn't hear him, so he didn't respond. Juliet stood to greet Garrick and hugged him tightly, sobbing into the front of his robes. Severus lifted his head and turned to see what she was doing. When he saw Garrick he nodded his head as best he could and blinked a few times.

"How are you feeling?" Garrick asked Severus with his arms around his daughter.

Severus tilted his head slightly to the left to try and hear him but couldn't. Juliet pulled back and looked up to Garrick. 'They said he's permanently deaf in his left ear and lost partial hearing in his right.'

Garrick's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. This wasn't a typical sports injury, this was a crime! "Tell me exactly what happened, little one."

Juliet told him of Remus stepping into the game when he wasn't on the team. How he and Sirius were going out of their way to hurt him the whole game until they finally hit him head-on. How the bat was broken on Severus' face and the other on his elbow. How Severus fell from high up, and Regs caught him. Then started to cry while signing the details of the specialist Hector from Saint Mungo's told then there was nothing he could do.

Garrick's temper was rising as he watched the story his daughter played out for him. Lupin was one of the boy's who had hurt her last year and now went after her paramour. "Leave us little one, I need to speak with him alone."

Juliet nodded and went to go wash her face and straighten up in the meantime. Garrick stepped forward to Severus' good side and casually waved his hand in the air. He felt the silencing wards prickle against his skin.

"Show me what happened," Garrick ordered and looked into Severus' eyes.

Garrick saw the memories of Remus in the halls smiling and flirting with Juliet, in the Library reaching for her when she wasn't looking, then snips of conversation that Severus picked up.  _"Oh yes, I would love to show you my tan lines… or lack thereof." "I've seen enough of your lace things…" "I wish you weren't with him…" "I wanted to ask if you would go to Hogsmeade with me… I'll let you buy a swimsuit…"_

Garrick saw the replay of what happened at the Quidditch match and clenched his fists in anger. That Lupin boy had gone too far! From what Juliet had told him about the future, this boy was the one that suffered from Lycanthropy and was an asset to the war. When he had to deal with them last year on her birthday, he had gone soft on them. They did not know the true power that Garrick Ollivander had but would soon find out.

Garrick pulled out of his mind and opened his mouth and stretched his jaw. Out of reaction to seeing the bludger bat hitting Severus' face and because he was clenching his teeth so hard. "I will see to it that you are taken to the top specialists in Europe for a second opinion." He held up his hand when he saw the thought of money appeared in his mind. "You will not have to pay a single Knut, House Lupin and Black will be fronting the coin as well as paying for what their children have done."

Severus relaxed and laid his head back down while blinking twice. Garrick took a deep breath and stood up straight. "I will see to it that you don't lose your Apprenticeship for missing time. When you are better, I have work for you to do. Your Apprenticeship requires a final project that has to be turned in sometime before you are up for your Mastery. I will give you the supplies and means to do so, but it will be on my directions and orders."

Severus's quirked brow made Garrick chuckle. "We will speak more once you are better. In the meantime I want you to get as much rest as you can. You will be seen by the top specialists first thing in the morning. I have work to do. Tomorrow will be a  _busy_  day."

Garrick didn't bother meeting with Albus or any other teachers, he left out of the same floo he came through before Albus could meet him in the infirmary. He went straight to the Ministry and walked right into the Wizengamot office with everyone jumping out of his way or asking him if they could get him anything.

His only reply was "The whole bloody council on a platter."

Within ten minutes three scrolls were signed, a hundred notices went out and the next morning's paper was reprinted. Garrick had become Chief Warlock as well as the School Board Governor with the corner office and a full staff of people who worked under him. He gave three orders and watched as they all scrambled around to get it done.

* * *

In another twenty minutes, the whole Wizengamot council was meeting in the biggest courtroom. Remus' father was pulled from his desk and escorted into the court by Auroras. Remus was wheeled in on an ancient looking metal wheelchair with a muzzle on his face. His father suddenly paled and looked at his son with wide, scared eyes, did he attack someone?

"We are brought here today for the investigation of the werewolf Remus J. Lupin attacking another student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." A council member spoke and then took his seat in the front.

Albus managed to slip in before the doors finally closed and was trying to catch his breath as he slid to a stop by Remus' wheelchair. "Now wait a minute! You need to get permission from Head of staff when you take a student off campus-"

"Order of Merlin first class, Chief Warlock, School Board Governor, Lord of House Ollivander is a Head of staff and currently conducting the investigation of a student attack." The representative stood and announced Garrick's full title.

Garrick smirked down at Albus and pointed to his lopsided giant pointy hat on his head. Years ago he had joked with Albus about the Ministry. That the oaf with the biggest, ugliest hat was in charge just like in Rome. Right now, Garrick was that oaf and Albus was pissed.

"Headmaster… glad you could make it. I was worried that the notice sent out to you wouldn't get to you in time." Garrick said in a tone of false sincerity. Albus' face was priceless right now.

He banged his gavel three times to signal the start of the trial and cleared his throat. "We are here this late in the day because yesterday Remus of House Lupin attacked another student during a Quidditch match."

"Now wait a minute! Sports injuries happen all the time- it's the name of the game!" Lyall Lupin stood to object.

"Your  _son_  deliberately attacked Severus of House Prince with a bludger bat, thus causing a permanent disability." Garrick shot back.

"You said this was an investigation. Not a trial!" Albus raised his voice and whispers could be heard throughout the room.

"Just going over the evidence." Garrick tilted his head and shrugged. He looked over at the man on his right and nodded his head.

The tall man with blond hair and purple robes stepped forward and wheeled out an odd looking basin with a glass over it. It was a special pensive made just for court cases, to project them to the ceiling for everyone to see at once. He lifted the glass and poured in the first memory.

Everyone watched Severus' memory of Remus swinging the bat down on him, then Sirius coming up behind him and hitting him again. Everyone cringed, and a few people whispered 'poor boy.' Then the next memory played, it was Juliet's showing her point of view and how she had seen Remus and Sirius signal each other before attacking. A few other students and Horace had offered their memories to help with the investigation as well.

When it ended Albus stepped forward and waved the smoky images from the room. "House rivalry… competitiveness… jealousy… these are the things that go through a young  _boy's_  mind. The acts of a rebellious teenager who made an error. We handle accidents like this internally, with point reduction and detentions-"

"Do not bother with that 'boys will be boys' nonsense, Headmaster. This isn't the first time he has gone out of his way to harm another student… or have you forgotten what happened with my daughter last year?" Garrick interrupted him as he slammed his gavel down.

"I remember what happened last year," Abraxas said from his seat next to Garrick. Each head of House from the sacred 28 had a spot on the Wizengamot. Abraxas had put forth his vote for Garrick as Chief Warlock and stepped down (temporarily) from School Board Governor for Garrick. He knew his place and also knew that if Garrick was coming in with guns blazing, then it was a smart idea to back him.

Garrick had declined any and all invitations to join both the ministry and school board for years, but now it was time to change that. Once he got done what he wanted he would step back down and let the usual people run it.

"If point reduction and detentions are how you handle situations like this then we need to rethink our current staffing," Abraxas said with fake concern. Everyone in the room whispered in agreement, and Albus stayed silent.

A small young woman who looked fresh out of school rushed in and came forward to where Garrick was sitting. "He's here sir." She said quietly.

"Good. Good. Bring him in." he nodded and waved his hand.

Medi-Wizard Hector came in with his purple robes but minus a hat this time. He gave a small bow and waited to be introduced.

"Hector Mathews was the Medi-Wizard who saw both Severus of House Prince and Remus of House Lupin. Mister Mathews can you please tell us what you saw?"

He pointed his wand at his temple and dragged the memory to put into the pensive. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Ahem. When I first arrived, I saw Severus first. The whole left side of his face had several lacerations, a broken jaw, a serious concussion, shattered eyes socked and cheekbone, three broken ribs and a shattered elbow."

He paused for dramatic effect and the people in the court gasped in shock. "I was told before arriving that the patient could not hear anything. I tried to operate as best I could, but his hearing could not be saved." The memory showed the zoomed in vision from his goggles earlier as he tried to perform surgery. "As you can see… the malleus, incus, stirrup, and anvil are not responding to treatment. Diagnosis is permanent loss of hearing in his left ear. With some time, steroid trials and therapy he MIGHT regain partial hearing, but it is unlikely."

"Please tell us what you found when you saw the next patient." Garrick moved on.

Hector waved his wand and cleared the memory of Severus and replaced it with a memory of him seeing Remus. He was laying in bed and still unconscious until Hector revived him. Remus growled at him and tried to scratch and claw at him. Hector and Poppy had to restrain him to the bed with magic before they could treat him.

"As you can see he was aggressive and erratic. Unresponsive to any reasoning, eyes dilated, canines long and nails long and sharp like claws." Hector pointed out as the memory played.

"How is this possible? The full moon isn't until the end of the week, and this is during broad daylight!" a woman said from the left side of the room.

"Yes… that is true, but he is a young werewolf coming of age. His sixteenth birthday is coming up very soon, and at this age, the pup matures into an adolescent adult."

"Meaning what?" Abraxas asked impatiently.

"That his hormones are off the charts and partial transformation outbursts like this will happen until he gets control of them or rides them out." He explained.

"Was this outburst triggered in any way? Can it be avoided in the future?" Garrick asked, already knowing the answer.

"He was triggered by a pretty girl. When he was able to form tangible words, he kept asking for Miss Ollivander. Demanding that he see her and that he would rip us apart to get to her." Hector said and played the memory of Remus.

The present Remus kept his eyes closed hoping it would all go away and his father looked at the memories in horror. The crowd chattered to each other, saying that he was a danger to society and the school.

"You bastard! We didn't want him going to that school! We were content with homeschooling him, but you told us you would take care of him and keep him under control!" His father yelled from his seat in the center of the room. Albus looked uncomfortable with his sudden outburst.

"Headmaster Dumbledore," Abraxas called out suddenly. Albus straightened up and looked up at him. "Almost seven years ago in this very room, you stood before us. Stating that allowing a werewolf into the school wouldn't be a danger and that you would be held fully responsible if they did. Well… here we are."

"You're right," Albus said simply, and everyone started to yell.

"Get a new Headmaster!"

"Lock 'im up!"

"Azkaban for the werewolf!"

Garrick slammed his gavel down hard once, and it went silent. He looked around the room and adjusted his big hat. "Mister Mathews… could this have been avoided?"

Hector pursed his lips and thought hard about it before answering. "At the school? Yes, with him not attending. To avoid it from happening at all? Not unless he was on suppressants. It is the nature of the beast, no pun intended. This would have happened no matter what, whether it be at the school, home or public. It is a natural thing for werewolves when they are this young. As he hits puberty so does the wolf."

Garrick pretended to muse over his next words, dramatically stroking his chin and looking up at the ceiling in thought. Albus pursed his lips and huffed, he knew his old friend very well. "Suppressants you say? Does St. Mungo's offer a potion to werewolves to stop their  _cravings_?"

"No, it doesn't," Hector replied. When the crowd started to protest as to why not he got flustered. "The  **ministry**  hasn't signed off on funding or research for our potioneers to work on one."

"So you are saying that if the werewolves had a potion that would limit their wolf instincts… they would no longer be a threat to anyone?" Garrick set up the question to make it seem like it was his idea. Juliet had told both he and Albus about Wolfsbane potion and that it was Albus who had thought and created the potion. She had given the exact recipe for it and wrote it down, Garrick just stole it from Albus out of spite.

Albus was trying to but in the conversation to save his already stolen idea but Garrick wouldn't let him speak.

"Correct." Hector nodded.

"Thank you, Mister Mathews." Garrick dismissed him and turned back to Remus. "You deliberately hurt another student because of your condition. I know that the Wizengamot is inclined to agree that you are a danger to the public."

His father stood in outrage and put his hand on his son's shoulder. "My boy is not a danger! He just made some bad decisions. He's got a heart of gold- I swear it."

Garrick held his hand up to interrupt him. "I do, however, believe that your actions were caused by your condition. Perhaps it is time the Ministry took more interest in preventing incidents like these for people in your condition."

There was a small scattering of voices that agreed with him. Everyone was looking at each other and slowly nodding their heads.

"Although… I do not think it is wise for you to return to school. At least until you are under a Ministry regulated potion that will suppress these… urges to lash out." Garrick leaned back in his chair and looked around the room, waiting for all eyes on him. "Those in favor of granting funding to the research and development of a cure for lycanthropy and or control?"

"Now wait for just a second, Garrick!" Fudge had stood up from his smaller podium. "You cannot just come in here and pass these bills without first speaking to me and gain my approval!"

"Oh hush up, Cornelius! It's time the Ministry made some headway around here!" a man behind him called out.

"Ollivander for Minister!" a voice in the back yelled.

Garrick banged his gavel and looked around the room, ignoring Fudge. "Those in favor?"

Unanimous vote around the room, lycanthropy research and development was passed with a nudge from Garrick. He looked down at Remus and hit his gavel once to silence the room.

"Congratulations Mister Lupin… you are now the exclusive test subject for the cure of lycanthropy. Until a cure or a potion to control it is found you are to remain under house arrest with Auror escort to and from testing. Once it is found, you may return to school with a Ministry supplied." Garrick said then pointed to his father. "Lord Lupin, your son caused permanent damage to another student lycanthropy or not. It is still a serious matter that requires compensation."

" _Compensation?!"_

"The boy is disfigured and deaf in one ear! House Lupin  **will**  pay for all medical expenses and a fine of twenty thousand dollars." Garrick hit his gavel, and Lyall stood there with his mouth hung open in disbelief.

"Chief Warlock sir," Hector spoke up. "What of the research and development? Which Master or hospital will be in charge of-"

"Given that Lord Prince is not able to perform his apprentice duties for another month he will be granted the opportunity to prove himself as a future Master. Under the guidance of Master Jiggers, the contract will be written up for Lord Prince."

Remus finally spoke up and fought against his restraints. "He'll poison me!"

"You need to have trust in your fellow students like they trusted you." Garrick snapped then looked to Albus. "Headmaster let this be a warning to you that if another incident like this happens again, you will be replaced immediately."


	42. Chapter 42

The first thing Sirius woke up to was an owl telling him that he was being sued by Severus for damages done to his arm. It stated that due to his injury he would be missing work from his paid Apprenticeship, thus requesting pay for physical and mental discomfort and loss of coin during this time. It was signed by Severus' solicitor, which was Order of Merlin, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and School Board Governor Lord of House Ollivander. Garrick. The letter state that since he was disowned by his family and filed emancipation with the Ministry, he was being sued directly and left his parents out of it. House Black could breathe easy for once.

Sirius angrily tore the letter into dozens of pieces when he read that they demanded twenty thousand galleons. All he had to his name was his inheritance his great-uncle Alphard left him, and it was putting a large dent in it. "They'll never get my money! I'll serve time if I have to!"

Then another letter came via owl, a large sealed package from Gringotts saying that they were notified of garnishment and had to turn the funds over. They already hit his vault, and there was nothing anyone could do about it unless he filed a countersuit. Sirius knew that there was no way to beat Garrick and sank to his knees in defeat.

When he went down to breakfast, he was stopped by his Head of House who informed him that he was permanently kicked off the Quidditch team now and in the future. Due to the "attack" that he and Remus led it deducted one hundred house points each and he was to serve two weeks of in-school suspension with no Hogsmeade. He tried to argue that since Remus was no longer a student, so his point loss didn't count. Minerva took another five points for being smart with her.

* * *

A team of six highly recommended (and highly paid) doctors came to Hogwarts to see Severus the next morning. One look at him and they decided that the care he needed couldn't be done in a school infirmary. With a note from her father, the school board governor, Juliet was able to go with Severus to the hospital in Germany. Garrick met them there and made sure that all the bills were assigned to House Lupin to be paid at once.

Juliet never left Severus' side and never released her hold on his hand. She was extremely attentive, and he loved every minute of it. Her soft touches and light kisses were more effective than any of the pain potions they had him on. She would run her fingers through his hair and draw little circles on his chest or arm. Then she would either kiss his forehead, chin or hand over and over until his eyes dropped closed.

The first doctor said that his ribs would be the fastest and easiest fix with the wave of a wand and a few potions. Another doctor agreed but since Severus was unable to open his mouth with the broken jaw that would need to be taken care of first. The others agreed that getting his mouth fixed and giving him the ability to take potions and eat would be the most important. The specialist advised Severus that when the bat hit him, it cracked three of his teeth and knocked out two of them.

"Since all of your treatment is being paid for I strongly suggest that you make the most of it, Lord Prince." The specialist said with a knowing look. "I am going to schedule a complete dental overhaul for you. A new set of pearly whites as they say. Unless your teeth are lined and shaped properly, your jaw will never set as it should." He went on as he wrote on his charts.

So Severus was put under, and Juliet had to stay in the waiting room with Garrick. They were told it could take a few hours, so Garrick took her out to lunch in the busy downtown of Berlin. Juliet could hardly eat or enjoy herself since she was worried about Severus, so Garrick took her shopping for a get well gift for him. She found a large bar of dark chocolate with sea salt that she knew he liked, a very expensive potions book to read during his recovery and things needed to make him a blanket. The rest of her time was spent knitting the scarf and blanket for him out of the dark green and grey colors that she knew he liked best.

* * *

When he came out of his first surgery, he was still asleep and was told he wouldn't be waking any time soon before his next one. So she stayed by his side and kept knitting away until they took him back to fix his ribs and reconstruct his eye socket. It was late in the night when they finally finished everything they needed to with Severus. Most of the bandages were removed now, and he had dark purple and blue bruises on his ribs. They told him that he would still be sore for at least two weeks, but the bones were mended and set.

The swelling on his face went down dramatically, and Juliet could now see that his left eye had blown blood vessels in it. He could see out of his left eye, but it was extremely sensitive to light. They prescribed him special drops and an eye patch to wear for a month until his vision returned fully. They managed to heal all the lacerations on his face but weren't able to stop the scarring on the larger ones. He now how six scars on the left side of his pace that were pink. The one that had twenty-three stitches went along his jaw bone to his left ear, and it was the biggest. There were a two more on his cheek, one on his temple, one on his left brow and a deep one on his chin.

When Juliet saw him, she broke down crying then suddenly clutched her head. She was seeing visions of things in her time before she traveled back changing. As if someone was altering her memories of how she saw them when they were. The memory of her in Albus' office right before she was sent back in time when she saw the older deceased Severus in a portrait, and he only had the one scar on his lip. Now in her memory of her touching his canvas, he had the same scars that she saw now.

It was a hard reality hit for her that made her hyperventilate. That meant that up until this point of her being sent to the past Severus was still going to die by the Dark Lord's snake. It wouldn't happen for twenty years but the fact that she hadn't changed it was what really bothered her. Garrick tried to calm her down as much as he could, but it was Severus that was able to get her to breathe.

He wearily opened his eye and lifted his head to see her crying and struggling to breathe. He reached out his hand to her, and she took it, letting him pull her to him in the bed and hold her with his good arm. She curled up against his side and buried her face in his neck, wrapping her arms around his shoulders so she wouldn't hurt his ribs.

He leaned his cheek against her forehead. "I'm n-not  _that ugly_  am I?" He struggled with the words since his jaw and mouth were sore, but he still managed to keep his deep voice.

She snorted a small breath of laughter and shook her head no. Garrick slowly backed out of the room and left them alone until it was time for his next surgery.

* * *

Severus saw a specialist for his shattered elbow who was able to get him in and out of there within an hour. He would be in a sling for at least a week and would need to do physical therapy to gain his strength in that arm again. Then he saw another ear specialist who gave him the same grave news as Hector did. The ear was not responding to treatments, and there was nothing they could do unless a potion was created to rebuild damaged body parts. Sure, magic could repair, but it couldn't rebuild or create living cells.

It just gave Severus more incentive to be the best damn Potions Master the world had ever seen. After five days he was finally able to eat real food instead of supplemental nourishment potions. Juliet said that the hospital food was nowhere good enough for Severus to eat and made it her mission to provide all of his meals. Severus didn't know where or how she found a kitchen, but she had brought in soup one morning with the softest bread he'd ever eaten.

What made it even better was that she wouldn't let him feed himself. Most of the time Severus was stubborn, hard-headed and refused help from anyone and everyone. When it came to Juliet that was another story. She spoon fed him the soup after blowing on it to make sure that it wasn't too hot. Then she tore apart chunks of bread and placed them in his waiting mouth. He was in heaven and was seriously contemplating breaking his other arm so she wouldn't ever leave him.

The doctors finally cleared him to leave his bed and walk around but was told do so under extreme caution. Since he lost the hearing in his left ear and the swelling in his right was still there, he would be off balance and light headed. Juliet made sure that she was there to support him and let him put weight on her when he leaned too far over.

Garrick just watched on from his seat in the corner or from around the edge of the doorway. He knew these two were madly in love and dreaded the day when Severus would ask for her hand in marriage. She was his granddaughter that he never knew, given the circumstances, but he saw her more like his own daughter. She came into his life suddenly, and now he couldn't think of how life was without her in it. Lonely was the only thing he could think of, and he didn't want to let her run off and get married so quickly.

* * *

Severus returned to school a week later but was put on bed rest for another week. The doctors told him that he was not to overexert himself at all and was to report to Madame Pomfrey once a day for a checkup. In the meantime, he was under rehabilitation for his arm and reflexes. Since he lost all hearing in his left ear, he had to get used to the lightheadedness and balance issues. His vision in his left eye wasn't at its best yet and still had to wear the eye patch until he finished his daily drop medication.

He had to turn or tilt his head to hear anything on his left side, but he didn't mind as much as people thought he would. He ran into things on his left or under-compensated when reaching for smaller objects on his left. When his friends saw him, they said he was the stupidest looking pirate they'd ever seen,

"At least I don't have to listen to any of your yapping." He and pointed to his bad ear and gave them a perfect smile with his new straight white teeth.

Juliet had returned to her classes but spent all of her free time with Severus in the potions lab. He off left from classes but was anxious to get back to brewing for her Apprenticeship. Garrick had written him a very long letter about his contract for the Ministry. He was to create a potion for Lupin of all people, but the amount of coin being offered was too high to turn down. So he got to work on his research when the letter Garrick sent him pointed him in the right direction.

Garrick made sure to let Severus figure it out on his own, only nudging him in the right direction to start. He made sure to tell Juliet that under no circumstances was she to do it for Severus and let the boy earn it himself. She understood that Severus was a very proud person as well as smart, he would figure it out on his own. That didn't mean that Severus didn't get frustrated or upset when he hit a dead end though.

Sometimes Juliet would sneak down to the kitchens to make food for them while he worked and it did wonders for his mood swings. She would make him take a break and sit and eat with her the desserts or dinners she made for him. He would agree as long as she sat on his lap and fed him like she used to in the hospital and let him kiss her in between bites.

Most of his anger and frustration was really directed at himself. He was having problems lift his left arm and picking things up, or he was knocking things over because he couldn't see. This biggest issue that he had was the other project he was taking on. He had no idea where to start or what to refer to because no cases had ever been recorded for research.

He wanted to create a potion that rebuilt damaged cells. Like the doctors had told him. He was constantly cursing at himself mentally for thinking of this when he became partially disabled instead of thinking of it for Juliet who  _never_ had a voice. So while he worked on making the potion for the Ministry, he also worked on creating one to rebuild Juliet's underdeveloped larynx. He didn't tell her about his new project because he wanted to surprise her and hoped that she would love it.


	43. Chapter 43

Severus was in the labs most of the day while she went to her regular classes. He was dismissed from classes for another two weeks but wanted to get a head start on the contract for the ministry that Garrick gave him. No one had told him exactly what the Ministry contract was for until he had gotten the sealed scroll and Garrick's letter. When he read exactly what it was and found out why Lupin had attacked him he nearly set the lab on fire.

The damned Gryffindor Marauder was a werewolf and was allowed within the school walls under the false protection of their Headmaster! What if he had bitten someone? What if he had gotten to Juliet? He knew that boy was trouble from the get-go and warned Juliet about it in the very beginning! Had she known she wouldn't have been so friendly to him.

Had she known?

Severus was physically shaking with rage, and the fire in his fists was trailing up and consuming his arms. All of the glass jars and vials were shaking on their shelves or his workstation. The dots were coming together in his mind. She was kind to Lupin and helping him with a personal project. That's what she told Severus when he asked her what they were whispering about. That he needed help talking to a girl and that he was having problems. The stone floor under his feet began to smoke, and soon he was surrounded by a circle of fire. It was singing the stone with black scorch marks getting wider and wider.

Had she lied to him? Did she know that Lupin was a werewolf? Did she keep it from Severus? Some of the empty jars exploded near him, and the noise snapped him out of his raging inferno. The flames disappeared, and he looked at the clock on the wall. Juliet was out of class and on her way down to see him, he needed to get the answers from her now.

When she entered the lab, he was on her before the door shut behind her. Catching her off guard but she still smiled up at him. Until she saw the look on his face and searched him for injuries and asked him what was wrong.

"Did you know?" he was towering over here with his hands on either side of her head, keeping the door shut behind her. Ignoring the pain in his left arm that was still healing. He had gotten permission to take the sling off, but it still ached.

'Know what? Are you hurt?' She put her hands up to cup his face, but he pulled back slightly. Giving her the signal not to touch him.

"Did you know Lupin was a werewolf?" she could hear his nails scraping against the metal door. " **Don't lie to me.** "

She shivered and licked her lips nervously. She couldn't lie to him about knowing, and she knew the follow-up question was going to be how. Telling him the truth about where-  _when_  she came from didn't seem like the way to go. This was all getting much too big for her to handle, she needed to speak with the Headmaster.

'Yes.' She mouthed.

He pulled away and turned his back on her, kicking one of the stools across the room. He was yelling different curse words in Latin and some of it she couldn't understand or hear. He was tearing the place apart and destroying everything that could be easily fixed with a wand. He knew better than to destroy precious ingredients.

" _Irrumabo!"_ A glass shattered against the wall, he had thrown it with all his might. Following through like a muggle baseball pitcher.

" _Deus malum sit!"_ The little desk she worked at was flipped, and her star charts went flying.

" _Stercore!"_ He kicked one of the old cauldrons, but it bounced off the bottom of workstation and came back to hit his shin.

She wasn't scared of his temper. She knew he would never hurt her, and that he may be mad at her but would never raise a hand or object at her. Now she just had to wait until he finished and came back around to continue questioning her. It was easy for him to lose his temper, but it was sudden, and there were never any warnings unless you knew him like she did. Yet he was predictable with his fits, at least to her.

Yell, stomp, kick, curse, kick again because the first one didn't land, curse, throw something at a wall, curse, ask a question to himself, flip a table if he could, stomp, answer the question then stomp back and ask her the same question he asked himself while using the hand puppet that made her want to laugh every time.

"Why?" he asked from across the room, running a hand through his hair and breathing heavily.

'Why is he a werewolf? He was bitten as a child.' She bit her lip knowing that he was going to snap again. She kept her head down and her hands folded in front of her.

He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. "That's not what I- ARGH! Why didn't you tell me?"

'He asked me not to tell anyone.' She was direct with her answers, knowing that he hated long worded ones. She stayed by the door for him because if she stayed in one place, he knew where not to direct his rage.

"I'm not just anyone!" he yelled and put his hands to his chest.

'I didn't want to break his trust.'

He scoffed "Oh and it just randomly came up in conversation?!" He put his hand up like a puppet without a sock, mimicking Remus in conversation. "What's the constellation of Sagittarius? I want to steal you away from your boyfriend, by the way, I'm a werewolf."

She didn't dare laugh at his hand opening and closing with each word, looking down at it as if were actually speaking. She bit her lip and shook her head no. 'Dumbledore was the one that told me. I confronted Remus about it, and he asked me for help and not to tell anyone.' It wasn't a lie, Albus had told her and Garrick right before he sent her into the past.

Severus gaped at her. "The headmaster told you that Lupin was a werewolf. Just randomly pulled you into his office?" Then the hand puppet came back up. "Would you like a Lemon Drop? By the way, that boy is a werewolf, I'm going to put you in three classes with him."

'It was the summer before I started school here. My father met with him in his office, and they discussed it in front of me. I didn't know who it was at the time and couldn't remember the name, but Remus has the scars on his face, eats only rare meat and is missing from classes every lunar cycle. It wasn't that hard to figure out.'

He kicked the empty cauldron again and sent it skidding across the floor into a stack of clean ones. The loud crash made her jump and sink closer to the door. "You told me you didn't want him. Yet here you are telling me that you pay enough attention to him that you know when he's missing and what he eats."

Juliet shook her head no. 'He's in all my astronomy classes, we document the lunar cycles very closely, and he's never there. He's my partner in class. The meat thing came up in ancient runes when we were on our way to lunch, and we heard they were serving steak fingers.'

"After you knew he was a werewolf why didn't you stay away from him? Knowing that he hurt you in the past and was more than likely going to do it again. Hell- this time he got me!" He beat his fist into his chest and pointed at his scarred face. "I told you I didn't want you around him, but you didn't listen to me!"

That's when she finally broke down and started to cry. He was right, if she had just kept her distance from Remus instead of trying to help him, then Severus wouldn't have ever gotten hurt. She was so focused on trying to fix Remus' problem that she just created an even bigger one. She should have been trying to save Severus' life and make sure that he lived through the first and second war!

The fire in his hands suddenly stopped, and his arms dropped to his sides. He didn't mean to make her cry. " _Fatuus."_  He called himself an idiot in Latin and stepped over the mess he made to go to her. He pushed his hair back away from his face and slicked it back.

She had her face buried in her hands as she cried. She felt his arms wrap around her and she leaned against him. "Shh… Angel. I don't want to see you sad."

"It's a-all my- my fault! Y-you wou-wouldn't have g-gotten huuuuuuurt." She tried to whisper the words because she couldn't function her hands properly with them covering her face.

He pulled her away from the door and picked her up, ignoring the pain in his left arm and ribs. The fact that he had destroyed the room with all his might wasn't good on his still healing wounds. He carefully stepped over the broken glass and upturned chairs to get to the red leather couch they transfigured out of an old broken desk. He sat down and cradled her in his lap with her face buried in his neck.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She kept hiccupping into his robes.

"Shh. It's alright. I forgive you. Come here and kiss me." He pulled her by the chin to look at him. Her cheeks were tinted pink, and her eyes were red and watery. Bottom lip red and swollen from her biting it nervously.

She kissed him, and he tasted her tears on his lips. He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped her face then put his forehead to hers and made her look at him. "I told you to stay away from him to protect you."

"I should have listened to you." She whispered, and her bottom lip quivered. It would have been a whimper had she a voice.

"Now we know, don't we? You will listen to me next time. Do you understand?" It wasn't open for discussion, it was an order.

"Yes, Sir."

"Good girl."

* * *

His ribs and arm were completely healed now, no longer sore or weak thanks to Juliet. Twice a day she had used the Carpe Diem cream on him to help soothe his aching muscles. The Slytherin in him played out his discomfort for much longer than necessary. Why wouldn't he? She would strip him, kiss him all over then massage the cream into his skin. In return, he would rub the cream into her hands, and she was like putty in his arms, dropping her head into his lap or on his shoulder. Sighing heavily as if purring like a mute kitten.

The doctor had told Severus not to overexert himself at all, so to him, that meant that Juliet had to take care of his other needs while he relaxed. She didn't mind one bit when kisses turned into heavy petting and Severus growling at her. She would make him sit on one of the couches in the potions lab after he made sure it was locked and warded. Then she would get on her knees before him and worship him.

That's what it was in his mind. Worshipping. How she would tend to his every need and want then when there was something she required she would beg for it. There was no assumption or uneasiness about it, she was his submissive and the kinky thought of it would either get him hard, or like the present moment… explode into her mouth.

"Good girl." He would praise her when she pleased him. Kiss her tenderly and watch her body shiver and react to him. He would pet her head, rub her cheek or pull her closer to him. As she took care of him, he did the same for her. She started to study in the potions lab while he worked on his contract and when he thought she needed a break, he would tell her to put her things away and come sit on his lap. He would send her off to the kitchens for some tea and biscuits because she refused to let him do it.

When she wasn't sitting on his lap bridal style with her face in his neck, she was laying on the couch with her head in his lap and taking a nap. Other times she was kneeling before him with her head in his lap, while he read to her and ran his fingers through her hair. He would read to her before walking her back to the dorm and make sure that she got enough rest for the next day.

When she upset him, he would give her a deep warning growl that she had picked up quickly. If she missed it or really upset him, he pulled away from her completely and not touch her. It affected her more than if he were to hold her down or against the wall and scold her. He found out the exciting way that she liked his roughness and it just made her beg for more. He was shocked to say the least, how this little Ravenclaw was everything he had hoped and dreamed of having. When he was displeased with her and pulled away, she would immediately beg for forgiveness and kiss his neck or jawline with her arms wrapped around him until he accepted her again.

A few times he had called out to her from her make-shift desk in the corner by the couch. She was so engrossed with her star charts that he called her twice more. He walked right over and slammed his hand down on the chart in front of her to get her attention.

"I was under the impression that I was the deaf one." He growled out in a low tone that was meant as a warning to her.

She jumped and looked up at him while throwing her quill and protractor down. 'I'm sorry.' She signed quickly.

"When I call you, answer me. If you are busy, tell me, and I will wait.  **I do not like being ignored.** " His eyes were boring into hers with such intensity that her bottom lip started to quiver.

'I didn't mean to-'

He stood up straight and suddenly turned from her to walk back to his workstation, no longer looking at her or the words she was signing to him. She scrambled after him, sending her wooden chair backward to hit the side of the couch.

'Please Demon, I didn't mean it. It won't happen again I swear.' She was trying to her him to look at her.

He wouldn't until she made it up to him and she knew that. She reached out and put a hand on his exposed arm and watched him pause in his chopping. She trailed her hand up his arm and to his neck, making him set his knife down and turn to her. She leaned up and buried her face in his neck, knowing that it calmed him down when she did it. It may have been her safe place to hide at times, but for him, it grounded both him and his temper.

Her lips on his still tender skin soothed his inner beast and awarded her with a soft grunt from him. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back gently, running his fingertips along the length of her throat with his free hand.

"Where is your collar?" he asked.

She gave him a confused look and panicked that she didn't know what he was talking about. 'Collar?' she mouthed.

He paused in his touching and blinked down at her. Shit. He had called it a collar out loud? "The choker I gave you last summer. Why aren't you wearing it?"

'We had Herbology today, I didn't want to get it dirty or lost. I never wear it on days were are in the greenhouse.' Her eyes lit up in recognition of what he was talking about, quickly explaining the reason to him.

"If it breaks, I will fix it. If it gets dirty, I will clean it. I want you to wear it at all times, no excuses. Do you understand?" He flexed his fingers around her throat but didn't squeeze.

'Yes.'

"Yes what?" he tightened the grip on her hair in warning.

'Yes, Demon.'

"Good girl." He would have accepted Sir, Severus, Love or Master. The last one made his groin ache in need. He let her hair and throat go and leaned down to kiss her.

He could feel the questions she had in her head when she kissed him. "Ask."

'Why did you call it a collar?' she signed as quick as his one-worded demand passed his lips.

He gave her a predatory grin, and she swallowed the pool of saliva that had gathered in her mouth. He took a step forward with his hands on her waist, pushing her back until her lower back hit the workstation behind her.

He put both hands flat on the table behind her, trapping her in his arms and towering over her with his hair in his face. "Because it is. I gave it to you so it could be displayed proudly on your slender little neck. I had my initials placed front and center on it so everyone could see that you are taken. To show who you belong to and who takes care of you."

Her lips parted slightly, and her tongue moistened them as she leaned forward into him when he spoke. She was eagerly nodding in agreement to his choice of words and contemplated running to her dorm to go get it.

"Are you ashamed of wearing it?" he loved to see her squirm.

'No!' she mouthed and shook her head.

"Do you not want people to see it?"

'Yes of course!' her hands were on his chest, eyes wide and leaning into him.

"Who do you belong to?"

'You!'

"Prove it." He challenged her, thinking that she would confess her undying love for him or kissing him.

Instead, she pushed him back suddenly, and he nearly lashed out at her verbally. Until he saw that she turned around and bent over the workstation, lifting the skirt over her bottom and presenting herself to him. His mouth went dry, and his eyes bulged at the sight of her wearing his favorite green lacy knickers and wiggling her bottom for him to take.

'Please spank me, sir.' She tossed her wand to the side after the little ribbon wrote for her.

He was going to marry this girl! That was his only thought before grinding his clothed erection against her and bringing his hand down on her right cheek.

* * *

February brought the cold wind and Juliet's birthday. Lucky for Severus the Hogsmeade trip was the weekend before so he had the opportunity to shop. He had missed the last visit due to being in a German hospital. It was a cold, windy day but he was in good spirits because he was finally able to take that damn eye patch off and stop bumping into things. Also because Juliet was on his arm most of the trip as well. All her Ravenclaw friends went with the boys and planned to separate for a brief time so he could shop.

Severus leaned into her so they wouldn't be heard by the others. "I need to step away for an hour. You will stay with your friends, and we will not have a repeat of the last trip. Is that clear?"

She looked up at him with soft eyes. She could see the uneasiness in them and doubt clearly plastered on his face. A small smirk formed on her lips as she signed. 'I was hoping to have a repeat of our time in the woods.'

She was referencing to her giving him his first ever blow job by the Shrieking Shack. He tried to scowl, but the smile on his face betrayed him. "I was speaking of another man touching you and buying you things… but I can see where you are confused."

He kissed her, tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth. "If you're good then I might indulge you with a spanking before we head back to the castle. The other activities will be done inside from now on until the weather clears. Last time you got cold, wet and sick. I will not have that happen again."

'Yes, sir.' She gave him a small salute and a wink before going off with her friends to the bookstore.

He watched her run off to catch up with her friends and see her looking back at him three times before heading to the shop. Rowle came up to his side and shook his head. "You guys are so fucking weird."

"Come on already, my bollocks are going to freeze off," Nott whined and pulled his jacket around himself tighter.

"When did you become such a girl?" Lucius teased and led the way to the jewelry store at the far end of the block.

"Since he couldn't get one of his own." Avery barked out a laugh and hit Nott on the back with his gloved hand.

"Why the hell are you buying her a ring anyway? Did you ask her father already? I thought she wasn't of age until next year." Mulciber rolled his eyes and looked at Severus.

"She turns sixteen on Thursday." That was meant to answer his questions.

"The hell does that have to do with anything?"

"That means that even though he's been courting her for a year, she will be of age to choose a permanent suitor for her father to approve," Lucius explained. Seeing his friend's confused look caused him to roll his eyes and explain further. "Severus is going to get her a promise ring. It's almost like an engagement ring, but it's a promise to ask for her hand in marriage when she comes of age. Then when she does…  _she_  will be the one asking for her father's permission formally. Trust me, it looks better when the Lady presents the suitor to her father instead."

"This is all too confusing." Mulciber shook his head, he didn't care much for pureblood protocol and was happy his girlfriend and her family weren't either.

"Boring if you ask me." Regs yawned dramatically and stopped when he saw Severus scowl at him. "I mean moving. It's so moving and romantic-"

"Shut up and get in the damn store." Severus snapped.

* * *

They looked at all sorts of rings of different shapes, sizes, and cuts. If it weren't for Regs secretly getting her size from one of her friends he would have been screwed. Out of all his friends, Yaxley ended up being the only help that was worth something. The shop owner was surprisingly patient with them as he placed set after set of different displays before him.

"That one." Rowle pointed.

"No red."

"That one." Nott pointed.

"That's a men's ring." Severus rolled his eyes.

"This one." Regs held one up.

"Too simple."

"That one." Lucius pointed.

"WAY above my price range."

"You want traditional but one of a kind," Yaxley said from his left side.

"What the hell does that mean? You can't be both, it's an either-or kind of thing." Lucius argued and flipped his hair back over his shoulder.

"Hush. I'm talking to Snape." Yaxley waved his hand at Lucius.

"Don't you hush me!"

"Lucius. Go look over there at the seasonal section. Maybe there's something we missed." Severus pointed to the other side of the store and turned back to Yaxley. "Explain."

He gave Severus a big cheesy grin and stood up straight. "So hear me out… she's pureblood eh? They like the traditional old-timey things that are handed down from generations and such. Your Mum give you a ring?"

He scowled and looked away. "No. She doesn't know I plan on asking for Juliet for her hand."

His friend's jaw dropped. "Snape! You gotta get the family ring! It's tradition! Then you bring it here for a new set of stones and a good cleaning. Maybe engraved."

The shopkeeper finally chimed in. "He's right, you know. You're planning on proposing to the Unicorn Princess of House Ollivander. Not looking to cheat you out of your money, kid. With a family like that, you need to go big or go home."

Severus leaned on the glass case with his elbows and looked down at the rings for the hundredth time. He bit his lip and thought hard about what they were saying. "Mr. Holt I am a half-blood nobody that came from nothing. I am fairly certain that House Prince has no such ring. At the present time, I only promise my intent to ask for her hand. When I am ready to formally do so, I will seek out this nonexistent House Prince ring."

Before the shop owner could answer Yaxley had pointed behind him at a small work table behind the counter with a little lamp on it. He turned and saw what he was looking at. "That one was damaged in shipping, haven't gotten the chance to clean it up or put it out," Holt explained and went to pick it up from the little stand it was sitting on.

Severus leaned in closer, and his friends came to look over his shoulder. "What's wrong with it?"

"The stone fell out and went missing. I got spares to put in but just haven't done it yet."

"It's perfect, mate! Just pick a stone and let's go!" Yaxley said and nudged him with his elbow.

"How soon can you put a stone in? Emerald with engraving." Severus asked and held the ring up. This was the winner.

"Twenty minutes for the stone set another ten minutes for engraving. Want to wait or shall I owl it to you?"


	44. Chapter 44

The morning of Juliet's birthday she woke up well rested and excited about the day's plans. She was going to meet Severus by the front door near the Great Hall while they waited for Garrick to come get them. Severus was joining them for their yearly tradition of going to Mass on her birthday. Last year it landed on Ash Wednesday, lucky for him today was a Thursday, and he didn't have to wear the mark of the sinner on his forehead.

After she showered she put on her favorite pair of jeans and a cute grey fitted shirt and grabbed her cloak and proceeded out of her dorm. What she didn't expect was all of her Ravenclaw friends to be waiting for her in the common room with balloons, presents, party hats and cupcakes. She was surprised yet happy that they went through all this trouble for her. She got to stay with them for a bit, have a cupcake and open the gifts. Knowing that she had to leave soon, they cleaned up for her and wished her a good day.

What she didn't notice was Lockhart to be hanging around by the door for her. "Juliet! Oh, my love, I wish you the very happiest of birthdays! Come, let me serenade you-"

Dani flicked her wand at him and silenced him immediately. She shook her head and sighed. "Sorry about that. We tried to keep him out of the common room today. He's been talking about you all week. His father is really putting the pressure on him to join houses with the Ollivanders."

Juliet's jaw opened in shock, and her eyes went wide. 'What?!'

Dani leaned in and whispered to her. "The Lockhart's are hurting for money. Roy here hasn't gotten over the bad break up with him and Regs. So he's been drinking and moping about, and then he got his hands on a love potion, thinking that would solve his problems. Well… here we are now."

She scowled and looked down at herself. 'Love potion? I haven't been given a love potion.'

Dani breathed a snort and chewed on her lip to keep from laughing. "The dumbass thought he was supposed to be the one to drink it. He thought his charms and flattery worked on you last year before you and Snape got together. His issue is him being gay, he thought the potion would make him love you and his…  _charm_  would do the rest of the work."

Both of them had been ignoring Lockhart who was still speaking to Juliet. He didn't seem to notice that none of his words were coming out. Suddenly he pulled out a small black box and got on his knee. Both of the girl's heads swiveled around to too down at him.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me." Dani cursed. "Roy… what are you doing man?"

Lockhart opened the velvet box and showed her the House Lockhart family ring. His mouth was still moving, but no voice was being heard. Mack came up from behind them and flicked her wand at him. "Sorry- but I have to hear this!" she giggled.

"Oh, Lady Juliet! Now that you have reached the ripe age of sixteen it is my honor to vow for your hand in marriage! 'Tis been a year that you've been lost without me and spent your time with another suitor. But worry not, my sweet! Your contract with him will be broken, and now I can rescue the princess from the dastardly dragon!" he went on even louder now that he was gathering a crowd.

Everyone was snickering, and some were covering their faces in embarrassment for him. Juliet was trying her hardest not to laugh. She knew Lockhart was a fake in the future but right now he was just a guy who was being pressured by his family, who was also an idiot.

'Dastardly? People still use that word?' Juliet asked Mack.

"I wish I had a camera! Oh, this is the best thing I've ever seen in my life!" Sophie said from over Juliet's shoulder.

"What's he mean that your contract is up?" Dani asked Juliet who shrugged.

"Oh didn't you know? The contract for House Prince and House Ollivander was set for only one year! Like most Pureblood traditions, the Lady is now open to accept promises for her hand when she comes of age. Well, here I am! Your knight in shining armor!" Lockhart stood up and pulled his wand out. "I will slay your dragon!"

He held it high in the air and extended his left hand towards Juliet. "I vow-"

Mack, Dani, and Juliet both rushed forwards to wrestle the wand out of his hand. Severus told her not to touch anyone, but she didn't care, she wasn't going to let Lockhart make an unbreakable vow to marry her within a year!

"You don't want to do this, mate!" Mack said as she wrestled the tall boy for his wand.

Dani was jumping up and down as high as she could to try and reach for his wand. "DON'T" Jump. "DO" Jump. "IT" Jump. "ROY!"

Juliet was trying to climb up his body to knock the wand out of his hand. All four of them were losing their balance, swaying in all directions and hitting the wall behind him. Everyone in the common room was laughing, cheering or yelling at them. Juliet may be small, but she was nimble and quick.

"KICK HIS ASS PRINCESS!" Sophie yelled and egged on the crowd of onlookers.

"PRINCESS! PRINCESS!" they chanted.

Juliet gave up on trying to get the wand, he was too tall. Mack was trying to cover his mouth, but he kept swatting her away. Juliet thought that if she could prevent him from speaking, then he wouldn't be able to make the vow. So she wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed as hard as she could.

"GAAAAHHHH!" he choked.

The seventh-year students who were supposed to be Prefects and Head of House were actually betting on the girls versus Lockhart. Someone came in the portrait, which swung open inwards and hit Lockhart in the back. It sent off of them flying onto the floor on top of each other.

Lockhart stood up and grabbed his wand. "I, Gilderoy Lockhart vow-"

Mack jumped up and threw Dani's shoe at him. It had fallen off and landed near her, so she threw it as hard as she could and hit him on the cheek. The love potion was fully in effect and coursing through his veins, once he set his mind to something with her he was going to make it happen.

"OW! Stop it! Can't you see I'm trying to prove my love for her!" he yelled at Mack.

"And I'm trying to save your arse! You arse!" she yelled back.

"I will do this!" he yelled and took off out the portrait with his wand in the air. "I'll have Lord Ollivander perform the unbreakable vow! Then I'll duel your  _Lord Prince!_ To the death, if I must!"

Everyone in the castle knew that her father was coming to pick her up from school. He did it the year before, and it was all over the papers that this year would be the same, except now Lord Prince was going as well. Lockhart was going down to the Main Hall to find him and confess his undying love for Juliet. Garrick might not be there waiting for her yet, but Severus sure was.

* * *

Juliet scrambled to get up and chase after him, Dani and Mack right behind her. Most of the students either lost interest, or a few decided to follow and see where this drama led to. Juliet reached for her wand, but it was in her cloak that she threw to the floor in the common room.

'Wand? Anyone?' she looked over her shoulder and made the hand motion for a wand.

"I left it on my bedside!" Dani yelled at her. "Mack where's your wand?"

Mack reached into her back pocket and pulled out half of her wand. "Son of a bitch! I broke my wand when I fell!"

Lockhart was a lot faster than any of them and was jumping down the stairs two and three at a time while singing the tune for a wedding. "BA DUM DUM DA! BA DUM DUM DA!"

"What a fuggin' wanker!" Mack cursed and picked up her pace.

Juliet nearly tripped and fell twice but refused to give up. She couldn't let this dumbass make an unbreakable vow to marry her. First of all, he would die because she would never marry him! Secondly, Severus would kill him before the vow did.

They all came down to the bottom floor, and he jumped off the last five steps and stumbled forward. Dani and Mack were yelling at him, and Juliet was whistling loudly. They rounded the corner towards the main hall which was a straightaway before the last set of stairs to the main entrance, and it was the only chance Juliet had to catch up with him. There were students in the halls who were jumping out of the way and yelling at them for cutting them off.

Dani grabbed the book out of someone's hand that she passed and threw it at Lockhart, successfully hitting him in the back of the head and sent him stumbling forward. "Got 'im!"

He powered through it, struggling to his knees before taking off again. It let Juliet catch up at least since she was the fasted out of all her friends. She was sweating, panting and trying her hardest to reach out and grab the back of his robes.

* * *

Severus was standing by the main doors with his friends as he waited for Juliet. He knew her friends planned a small party for her so knew she would be a bit late. What he didn't know was that Lockhart crashed that party and was on his way down to meet Garrick who just stepped in.

Severus greeted Garrick with a firm handshake. "Lord Ollivander. Good morning."

"Good morning, Lord Prince." He released his hand and was about to open his mouth to ask him where Juliet was, but the sounds of crashing and yelling were heard from above them.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Regs said from Severus' left.

They all looked up at the top of the stairs for the source of the noise. A suit of armor could be heard being knocked over, the loud crash making them all flinch.

"YOU MISSED HIM!"

"I'M TRYING!"

"YOU'LL NEVER STOP TRUE LOVE!"

"OH SHUT UP YOU TOSSER- JULIET DUCK!"

**CRASH**

"THROW YOUR OTHER SHOE AT HIM!"

Lockhart came around the corner, and they would see him running along the way to the stairs. Two seconds later, Juliet, Dani, and Mack appeared right after, huffing and chasing after the boy who had his wand in the air. Severus was shocked to see Juliet in such a state and was frozen in place with her father and his friends. Everyone in the Main Hall stopped and stared at the three girls who were chasing another Ravenclaw.

Lockhart started running down the stairs and looked up to see Garrick by the door. "LORD OLLIVANDER! WOULD YOU DO ME THE HONORS-OOF!"

Juliet took the chance and jumped off the steps above him as hard as she could. With her arms outstretched and her hair flowing wilding behind her. She hit Lockhart in the back just as he got off the last step. He was sent forward but was able to keep standing up, she had wrapped her legs around his waist and had one arm around his throat and the other reaching for his wand.

"What the hell?!" Severus yelled as he watched her hugging Lockhart.

Garrick put his hand on Severus' shoulder to stop him from jumping in. He wanted to see where this was going, he'd never seen his "daughter's" real temper until now… and he was in the mood to see some action.

Lockhart struggled to breathe out the words he wanted to tell Garrick. "DO ME-"

Juliet gave up on the wand and started to hit him in the back of the head as hard as she could. 'SHUT UP!' she mouthed with each hit. Her friends finally caught up and jumped on him as well, all of them punching and clawing at poor Lockhart.

**PUNCH**

"THE HONORS- STOP IT, WITCH!"

**PUNCH**

"OF CASTING-"

**PUNCH**

"AN UNBREAKABLE VOW- DAMN IT!"

**PUNCH**

"TO MARRY YOUR DAUGHTER!"

**PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH**

Juliet finally got in a hard right hook to the poor boy's temple, and they all went down with him. Lockhart was knocked out, and they were all dog piled on top of him. All three of the girls scrambled around and searched him for the wand.

'I got it! I got it!' Juliet held the long piece of light colored wood. She was sitting on her knees and breathing heavily. Her friends doing the same and looking relieved. The crowd of people got bigger and bigger as they watched the girls fighting and screaming at their friend.

"Oh thank Merlin! I didn't think he would ever shut up." Dani said.

"I thought we were going to have to kill him-oh hello sir," Mack said suddenly as she looked up to Garrick and Severus standing over them.

"What the hell is going on?!" Severus growled angrily.

Juliet and her friends looked at each other then at him, and then they all started speaking, in Juliet's case signing, at once.

"One at a time! Lord Black, help us get them up." Garrick ordered.

"What is this nonsense going on?!" Minerva yelled from the door to the Great Hall. "Everyone eating breakfast can hear you! What happened to Mister Lockhart?"

"No offense, Ma'am but where the hell have you been?" Mack put her hands on her hips as she tried to catch her breath.

Severus picked Juliet up off the floor and scowled down at her. "Explain."

"Roy took a love potion so he could get the courage to ask Juliet for her hand in marriage. Then when we all told him no, he decided to make an unbreakable vow- that he would marry her within the year. We tried to stop him, but he ran. We had to stop him, Professor! He was going to die if she didn't marry him." Dani explained quickly.

" _ **If?**_ " Severus growled and pulled Juliet under his arm.

'That's why we had to get his wand away from him! He wasn't in the right mind- it was the potion! I would never marry this jackass! I nearly killed him myself!' Juliet waved Lockhart's wand to write the tiny black ribbon for her.

"Horace come quick please!" Minerva called out to the man who just came up from the dungeons.

"My word- what happened? Mister Snape didn't get into another fight did he?" he said when he saw them all surrounding the boy on the floor that no one bothered to help yet.

"Actually these three girls knocked him out. They claim he is on a love potion and tried to make an unbreakable vow for Miss Ollivanders hand in marriage." She said and pursed her lips.

He laughed and threw his head back. "I'm sorry, but that's hilarious! I know that I'm missing a love potion from my personal stores and I think I just found out what happened to it."

'Why the hell do you keep something that dangerous on hand?!' Juliet signed angrily but he missed her words because Severus wrapped his arms around her to pull her aside. She knew his temper, and Severus knew hers, once she got started there was nothing to stop her, and she was unpredictable.

Horace waved his wand at Lockhart to wake him up. He opened his eyes and saw Severus and Juliet standing over him. "You! Unhand thy fair Lady at once Dragon!"

'Oh fuck me.' Juliet mouthed.

"What?" Severus hissed.

He stood up and formally bowed. "I formally challenge you to a duel, sir! For Lady Ollivanders hand! I am her knight in shining armor, here to rescue her from the evil dragon! I shall slay you and take your treasure!"

Everyone surrounding them laughed and pointed at all of them and Severus hated it. Of all the years the Marauders had pranked him and made him the laughing stock in front of everyone he wouldn't let that happen again. Especially when it was a challenge to take his girlfriend away from him!

"Is he fucking serious right now?" Regs chuckled.

"You two, help me get him down to my office. We'll sort the poor boy out, send a letter to his parents will you Minerva?" Horace completely dismissed what Lockhart said, figuring that it was just the potion affecting the poor boy's mind.

"I accept." Severus stepped forward.

Everyone stopped talking, and laughter ceased. All eyes moved to the two boys who we standing face to face. Juliet tried to pull Severus away by his arm, but he didn't budge.

"HAHAHAHA!" Garrick's laughter broke the silence and tension.


	45. Chapter 45

"This isn't the time, or the place for- "Minerva started to say as she stepped forward to move the boys apart.

"Capital idea! It will be a great demonstration for dueling club!" Filius said as he finally walked upon the scene.

"Capital- Filius, this is a  _formal duel_  for the hand of another student! There's no way we can allow this on school grounds!" she spun around and looked down at the small man as if he were insane.

"Why not? Give the rest of the students in dueling club a chance to see it first hand! Mr. Snape and Lockhart, I'm assuming you two already know the formalities of dueling?" Filius brushed her off.

"Yes sir." Both said without taking their eyes off each other.

"No! No! I won't allow this here at the school! A SCHOOL! Albus wouldn't let this carry on!" she kept arguing.

"I am the school board governor, Minerva. I will approve of this formal duel for the sake of educational purposes. Only if you get Mr. Lockhart here a counter potion, we can't have him dueling under the influence." Garrick couldn't keep the smile off his face. The Lockhart's had been a thorn in his side for years. If it wasn't Lord Lockhart begging him to join houses and marry his daughter, it was Madame Lockhart begging to bring them into the trading business to get a leg up. Now their son was making a fool of himself on behalf of his parents.

Filius clapped his hands together and smiled brightly. "Capital! I will go in the hall and clear the tables for dueling! This is going to be such a good training aid!" He quickly ran off back into the Great Hall. Minerva chased after him to try and stop him.

Horace had an uneasy look about him but went along with things nevertheless. "Well alright then. Come along Mr. Lockhart, lets get you to my office and straightened out. May I have his wand, Miss Ollivander? I'll make sure he doesn't get it any time before the duel."

* * *

Everyone cleared out of the main entrance and made their way into the Great Hall to wait for the duel. A lot of students were excited and hoping to get a good spot to see the duel.

"Oh, I bet Snape is gonna smear Gildy all over the walls!"

"Money on Lockhart being a closet duelist champion."

Juliet moved around in front of Severus with a look he couldn't quite read. Her eyes were wide, her brows half between a scowl and worry. 'What the hell are you doing?! I was never going to marry him!'

"I need to do this. To prove to everyone that I protect what is mine. I can't let anyone see any form of weakness or hesitation." Severus explained.

'But you could get hurt!' her bottom lip started to quiver, and she bit it to keep it steady. She was trying her hardest not to cry.

"He will be fine. I have the utmost faith in Severus, otherwise I wouldn't have allowed it." Garrick chimed in.

Juliet rounded on Garrick and he took a step back and leaned back from her quick hands. 'YOU! I can't believe you would allow this! He just got better, and his hearing and vision hasn't returned fully- he's in no shape to duel!'

"He can hear you…" Severus rolled his eyes.

"You got this, mate. Give it to 'im good eh?" Yaxley said and pat him on the back.

Regs reached his hand for Severus to shake. "Good luck big brother, you better sweep the floor with him. I'm going in to start the betting." Then he ran off into the hall calling out different odds and prices.

'I can't believe you guys! He can't duel in his condition. Where the hell is the Headmaster?! Surely he wouldn't agree to this nonsense.' Juliet was nearly pulling her hair out.

"I do agree with it, and don't call me Shirley." Albus said from behind her and gave her a knowing smile.

"You proud of yourself? That was a horrible joke." Garrick said sarcastically.

"You don't have a sense of humor Garrick. Come, let us go and get good seats." Albus smiled and nodded to the Great Hall. Garrick excused himself and walked with Albus. Juliet watched them in disbelief as they walked away. "I hear the odds are on Mr. Lockhart, Snape's injuries could hinder him."

"You hear that rubbish?" Avery scowled at the two older men walking away.

'I know right?! They're out of their minds-' Juliet started to agree with him.

"Even if you still had that eye patch on you'd knock that prat right on his arse!" Avery covered his eye with one hand and swung his fist with the other.

Juliet scowled at him and put her hands on her hips. Avery seemed to get the hint. "But… uh… good luck eh?"

* * *

His friends went into the Great Hall to give Juliet and Severus some time alone. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along the wall out of the way for more privacy. 'Please don't do this. I can't stand to see you hurt; I don't know if I can go through that again.'

Severus put a hand on her waist and the other cupping her cheek. She leaned into his touch and tilted her head as she gave him a worried look. "I need to do this. I have to prove myself."

She shook her head and scowled. 'Prove yourself? Prove what? That you can be baited by some idiot?'

Severus was already on edge with everything that had just happened and the last thing he needed was his girlfriend he was supposed to propose to against him. He pulled his hands away from her, showing his disappointment in her. "That I'm not weak! That I can protect and defend what's mine."

She scoffed and curled her lip at him. 'Weak? No one thinks you're weak.'

A few Gryffindor fourth years passed by and were speaking loudly, either not seeing Severus standing there or not caring. "You think they're gonna give Snape a head start for his handicap?" One of the boys said.

"I don't know. Higgins thinks they're gonna have Lockhart tie a hand behind his back and cover one eye." A girl said and imitated what she was talking about.

Severus grit his teeth and pointed to them while staring Juliet down. "See?"

'Their opinions don't matter!'

"Angel, I need to do this. Everyone thinks that I'm not worthy of you. That I slipped you a love potion or some dirty underhanded spell that tricked you into being with me. Once I beat him in this duel everyone will see that I'm not weak- that I'm am strong and that I'm worthy of you." He ran a hand through his hair twice while explaining, struggling to find the words to make her understand.

She clenched her eyes shut tightly and took in two deep breaths before responding to him. 'Their opinions shouldn't matter, just mine.'

"What about your father's opinion? Hmm? What would he think of me if I didn't accept the duel? That I am not man enough to defend his daughter's honor. I need to show my devotion to you- "

'Devotion?! When did everyone put me on some pedestal?!'

"When you came to this school! When you came of age for a petition! When our contract came up! Now I must fight off the other suitors with a stick! I was hoping I had time to ask for your hand- clearly, I was wrong. I didn't think they would start swarming so soon." He snapped at her and regretted it immediately. The guilty look on her face made him feel guilty. It wasn't her fault, she was perfect, and everyone saw that. Obviously so since a known homosexual boy stooped to a love potion to get to her.

He pulled her back to him, rewarding him with a sigh from her lips as he put his forehead to hers. "The Demon will stop at nothing to protect what is his.  **Nothing.** "

'Dragon. He called you a Dragon.' She rolled her eyes as she made the hand motions of a dragon, it looked rather childish but there was no alternative.

"Are they not one in the same? You're the- "

'If you call me a Unicorn Princess I will smack the words right out of your mouth.' She threatened and held a hand up.

Severus chuckled and put his hands up. "The Dragon is only trying to protect his treasure."

She sniffed and looked away briefly, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. 'If I talked to my Papa… tell him what you mean to me- then he will make sure that we stay together no matter what. He can stop all of this.'

"What have I told you in the past? About me doing things for myself?" he stood up straight but didn't let her go.

'You are your own savior.' She hung her head, knowing that she wouldn't be able to change his mind.

"Indeed."

'And if you get hurt?'

He chuckled and put his hand to her cheek, rubbing his thumb on her bottom lip to pull it out from between her teeth. "Then I will have the prettiest little nurse there is tending to my every need, won't I?"

She blushed and smiled at him finally. He knew he was off the hook and she was no longer upset with him. 'But what if he…'

"What? Wins? I find your lack of faith disturbing." He pulled his hands away from her which made her pull them back.

'I have faith in you! I will always have faith in you, Demon. I just want…. I want…' she couldn't find the words to say that wouldn't upset him.

"Reassurance." He pursed his lips and gave a small nod, looking away from her and across the hall. Lockhart had come up from the dungeon steps and was being escorted by Horace, Dani, and Mack. "I will not yield, nor will I concede. Be it Lockhart or Merlin himself- I am going into this with every intention of coming out the winner. If I do not, then I shall be dead, because I cannot live without you. I will die fighting for you, until my last breath."

'If you're trying to make me feel better you aren't.' she gave him a teasing smile. He knew just the right words to say to her and she would never be able to tell him no.

"You once quoted Mark Twain… about how no one has ever prayed for the biggest sinner of all."

'I will pray for you Demon. I will pray that you return to me safely.'

He sighed and tilted his head back, looking up at the ceiling for a sign from above. None came. "Angel… I won't get hurt."

'Promise me.'

"You know I can't do that. Right now, I have everyone in there already calling me a failure, counting on me to lose and make a fool of myself. So please… can't I at least have you in my corner?" His voice was soft, and he was begging at this point.

Whatever argument she had lined up next suddenly vanished, her hands dropping to her sides fell to sides. The worried look on her face returned, no more anger or frustration. She slowly brought her hands up and bit her lip before signing her answer. 'Of course, I will always be in your corner. No matter what.'

Filius returned and looked around the hall for him, finally spotting them by the large hourglasses that held the house points. "There you are! We're ready for you Mr. Snape. Miss Ollivander, your father is asking for you."

Severus waved him away, motioning that they would be in their shortly. He looked back down at her and pulled her close. "A kiss for good luck?"


	46. Chapter 46

Both boys stood on either end of the long stage that Filius had managed to set up in a short amount of time. Severus was wearing a pair of dark gray jeans, a fitted long sleeve black thermal shirt, and his dragonhide boots. Juliet had told him that he was to dress casually for her birthday even though they were  _supposed_ to go to church. At least he was comfortable and able to move freely now that he was going to be in the duel for the most important thing in his life. Juliet had taken his cloak for him and was hugging it like it was the only thing in the world that mattered.

Lockhart was standing on the other end of the stage with a pale, nervous look on his face. His hands and legs were shaking, and it was obvious that now that he was sober he knew the dangers that he was in. He had thought about withdrawing and offering a sincere apology, but he knew his father would kill him if Severus didn't. He might as well see his mistake all the way through.

Garrick pulled Severus aside before Filius took the stage to make his announcement. "You sure about this, boy?" He said quietly to Severus.

"I am. I will never back down from a challenge for your daughter's hand, sir." Severus stood up straight with his head held high and his hands behind his back, almost soldier-like.

"I wouldn't agree to this if I didn't think you needed to prove yourself. Not to me, but to the public. I know you have experience dueling. I've heard of your little war with those Gryffindor boys." He chuckled and put his hand on Severus' shoulder.

Severus stiffened. "I did what I had to, sir."

Garrick gave a small snort of breath and shook his head. "Don't worry, boy. If I had an issue with it, I would have put an end to it. Now tell me, what is your strategy?"

Severus looked over to Lockhart who was getting a pointless pep talk from Albus and Filius. Lockhart locked eyes with Severus and looked away immediately. He was afraid of Severus, he should be.

Severus smirked, "Slytherin tactics."

"If you are defeated…"

"I will not lose."

"Quiet please! Everyone quiet!" Filius used his wand to enhance his voice above the chatter. "I am excited to announce that the dueling club has a live demonstration of a formal duel!"

Everyone clapped, and Regs could be heard over the noise about the odds and prices that he was charging. Lucius pulled him by the back of the robes to stand still and be quiet. "Will you shut the hell up and show some damn support for our brother?"

Filius waited for the noise to die down and continued, ignoring the death glare that Minerva was sending his way. "Today Lord Lockhart has challenged Lord Prince for the hand of Lady Ollivander! This is a formal duel set to ten paces with the only restriction being unforgivables. On the South side of the hall, we have the challenger, Lord Lockhart of Ravenclaw."

Everyone clapped for Lockhart, some yelled names as he took a formal bow to the crowd and flashed them a brilliant smile.

Avery and the boys started chanting, "De-stroy Roy! De-stroy Roy!

"On the North side, we have the challenged- "

"Mentally challenged!" Peter yelled out from the back.

"Lord Prince of Slytherin," Filius announced and paused for applause.

There was little to none, just his friends and Juliet who was whistling loudly for him. Severus barely bowed his head to the crowd but didn't take his eyes off Lockhart. Both were now facing each other with Filius standing between them with his wand drawn.

He looked up at both boys who had their wands drawn and held at their side. "No unforgivables and victory only by yielding or death. The victor may  _ask_  for the hand of Lady Juliet."

The hall was quiet, and Juliet was gnawing on her lip nervously. Filius looked up at Lockhart and pointed his wand at him. "Lord Lockhart, do you agree to the terms of the duel?"

"I accept." Lockhart's voice broke, and he cleared it awkwardly. He held his wand out to the tip of Filius', and both glowed a bright red color to seal his entrance into a formal duel.

"Lord Prince, do you agree to the terms of the duel?"

"I accept," Severus said with a deep firm voice and held his wand out as well.

The short man held his want straight up in the air as he spoke. "This duel has been officially sealed by an official and will begin at ten paces!" The area around the long stage shimmered in bright gold before fading away. It sealed the dueling area and kept anyone but the official from interfering and protected the surrounding people from stray spells.

Both boys brought their wands up to their faces and bowed to each other, then they turned away from each other and stood back to back. They waited for their teacher to signal for them to begin.

"On my signal- ten paces!" he called out then moved his wand in an intricate pattern that looked like a countdown. His wand let out the sound of a loud ringing bell, it reminded Severus of a muggle boxing match.

Severus looked straight ahead, ignoring Juliet or his friends as he took his ten paces. Lockhart nearly tripped because he was so nervous and jittery. The Great Hall was dead quiet, everyone looking back and forth to both duelists. Garrick had placed his hand on Juliet's shoulder to try and comfort her, it didn't help. She had Severus' cloak pulled up to her face and was attempting to hide behind it, but her eyes were peeking over the black bundle.

At the tenth pace, both spun around to face each other. Severus didn't lift his wand at all, while Lockhart spat out a weak "Exp-pelliarmus!"

Had Severus' cloak been a living being she would have suffocated it with how hard she was clutching it. Everyone's head followed the red colored spell as it lazily drifted towards Severus. Due to Lockhart's mispronunciation, the spell lacked the intended force. Severus blocked it easily and started to walk back towards his opponent.

Not once did he raise his wand to send a counter curse or attack Lockhart. Just because they took ten paces in the opposite direction didn't mean that they could not advance or retreat in their positions. His head was held high, and his wand held out to his right side, ready to deflect anything else the Ravenclaw was to send his way.

"Wh-what? Can he-" He stammered and took half a step back.

"Use your wand, you idiot!" a girl to his left called out.

"Reducto!" he cried and jabbed his wand at Severus.

Deflected again, this time he sent the spell up to his right and it hit the wards shielding them in. The people closest to them ducked and flinched out of reflex, it was still loud and bright.

"Stupefy!"

"Flipendo!"

He blocked every single spell that was sent his way and sent them somewhere behind him or to the sides. Severus kept his pace steady as he closed in on Lockhart, who was backing away quickly and now at the edge of the stage with nowhere to run. Severus now two paces away from the blond boy who had his wand shakingly pointed at him.

"Imped…"

Severus clenched his wand in his right hand but made a fist with his left, bringing it up to punch Lockhart in the face. Lockhart got so scared that he dropped his wand at his feet and put both hands up to cover his face.

"I yield! Please! I yield!" he called out as he cowered away from Severus.

Filius sent up sparks with his wand right after he let off the sound of the bell again. Severus lowered his fist and smirked down at the boy who dared challenge him for Juliet. Filius grabbed his wand arm and lifted it up as high as he could, he ended up lifting it higher and almost lifted his teacher with him.

"Lord Prince is the victor!" Filius announced.

The whole hall erupted with applause and Juliet was whistling for him as she clapped. Garrick was too busy laughing and holding his hand out to Albus for the coins they bet. Regs started jumping up and down cheering for his brother then ran off to collect the coins from people who owed him as well.

"Who else dares to challenge me for what is mine?!" Severus yelled out. He was pumped with pure adrenaline, and his self-confidence was sky high.

"Snape! Snape! Snape!" they all called out and cheered for him.

"James of House Potter formally challenges Lord Prince for the hand of Lady Ollivander!"

Severus spun around quickly and pointed his wand and James who already had his out. Gasps could be heard throughout the hall, and quiet murmurs followed. Juliet's jaw dropped, and Garrick pushed her aside to step forward and put an end to it. The wards surrounding the stage closed them in, a new challenger entered the duel, and the magic recognized it.

"Oi! Let me have a go, eh?" Nott said from the left side of the stage. "Give me a shot at that pretty little Ravenclaw if the bids are open. I call next then!"

Rowle and Yaxley hit him in each arm and pulled him away from the stairs leading up to the stage. "Stop being a fucking prat!"

Severus scowled at his friend but turned his eyes back to his enemy of six years. He couldn't believe that he wanted Juliet! Well, he could since he had stolen Lily from him why not the girl he loved? "I thought you didn't want anything to do with Lady Ollivander. After all, you called her an ill-bred witch and a blasphemous whore."

"Oooh!" could be heard from the crowd and everyone looked to James for a response.

James gave him a sly smirk and shrugged his shoulders. "My petitions for other Houses was denied, if I have to win her hand by a duel to join House Potter with the Great House Ollivander, then I will."

"This duel is to  **ask** for her hand, victory doesn't give you the right to claim her." Filius corrected.

"By any means necessary." James continued then looked down at Juliet who was closer to him. He winked and blew her a kiss, ignoring the angry glares that Lily and Severus were shooting him.

"Lord Prince has already won his formal duel! He does not have to accept another challenger!" Garrick called out and drew his own wand. If he had to destroy the wards Filius set around the stage to end it then he would.

"Lord Prince accepts the Challenge from Lord Potter," Severus announced through grit teeth. He was going to kill James Potter once and for all, and it was all going to be legal.

Filius looked from one boy to another for a few moments then pursed his lips while slowly shaking his head. "Very well. Lord Lockhart, please exit the stage. Lord Potter, Lord Prince to your places please."

* * *

They were sworn into the duel and stood face to face, much closer than he an Lockhart had been. Severus wanted to knock that smirk off James' face. "You will never have her."

The Marauder knew what he was doing, he was trying to get into Severus' head, and he was succeeding. "I will take her just like I did Lily. Then I'll let my best mates have a go at her as well. You know, I typically don't like sloppy seconds, but a little werewolf told me you kept her intact."

"I will kill you," Severus growled and leaned forward.

Filius was between them with his hand out to both of their stomachs, trying to hold them back since it was the highest he could reach on both boys. "Save it for the duel. On my signal- ten paces!"

The bell rang out again, and they began to count out their paces. James looked down at Juliet and winked again, and she gave him the finger in return. If Severus didn't kill James, then she was going to do it herself, unless Garrick beat her to it.

On the tenth pace, both turn around with their wands extended. This time Severus didn't wait for the attack, he sent a series of three quick spells then sidestepped two that James threw his way. It was intense and fast-paced, everyone in the hall was shouting and calling out who they wanted to win. James hadn't taken off his robes like Severus had, and he also wasn't able to produce fire wandlessly like him either.

Severus sent a large ball of fire with his left hand at the same time he sent a tripping jinx, which made James unable to block both. His robes caught fire, and he had no choice but to throw them off and somewhere behind him. Filius quickly put the flame out with his wand to keep the stage from burning. Everyone looked on in awe at the magical abilities that Severus was showing since none of them ever expected a show like this from the Slytherin.

"Atta boy!" Garrick called out and pumped his fist in the air. Minerva and Pomona looked at him with a stern look, but he ignored it.

Albus had a grave look on his face then turned to Garrick. "You taught him core magic."

"No, Albus. I never guided him in any direction, unlike you and your precious little  _Marauders_." Garrick sneered.

"Levicorpus!" James cried out.

Severus blocked it easily and snarled, "You dare use my own fucking spell on me?!"

"Such a dirty mouth, Snivellus. Let me clean it for you!" James sent a well-aimed Scourgify, and it hit Severus spot on.

His mouth filled with bubbles and soap, he started to choke and fight for air. He went down to a knee but didn't yield. He clawed at his throat with his left hand and struggled to breathe. Juliet caught his eye from across the stage and held up her hand, her flame came to life, and she blew on it. She was showing him what to do!

He was turning red in the face quickly, but he stood anyway and held his hand in front of his as she told him to. James foolishly walked closer to taunt him, but Severus pushed out his bubbles as hard as he could, his fire catching them and creating a huge flame that James had just walked into.

"AHHHH!" James screamed and backed away with his hands trying to cover his face.

Severus let his fire build as much as it could, feeling the heat rise in his chest. The bubbles were being burned from the inside out, and soon he didn't need his left hand to fuel the spitfire he was producing. James fell back on his ass and pat his hands all over his head, extinguishing his burning hair and then his shirt.

Severus was finally able to breathe again but didn't let up his assault. " **BOMBARDA MAXIMA!** " He roared, and the bright white light hit James in the chest and sent him flying across the stage.

He landed back to where he ended his ten paces, his glasses were knocked off his head, but he was able to hold onto his wand. His nose was bleeding, and his shirt was torn, bruises on his face and arms were starting for form. He scrambled to his feet, holding his left arm around his middle because he was sure some if not all his ribs were broken.

James held his wand up to Severus who was quickly advancing on him and cried out, "EXP-"

Severus didn't give him a chance to finish his spell, he sliced his wand in the air as if wielding a sword and roared out again, " **SECTUMSEMPRA!** "

James' eyes went wide as the bright white light came at him fast and hit him square in the chest. At first no one, not even James thought anything happened until his white shirt started to color red in dozens of places. Lines on his face and arms started to form and split with blood pouring out of them.

He sank to his knees, dropped his wand, and held his hands out in front of him to see the cuts on his arms. James was losing a lot of blood and fast, his skin was turning pale, and he fell back from his knees on to his back.

"What… what did you..." he tried to ask but couldn't finish.

"Another spell of my own creation. I told you not to fuck with me, and I told you to keep your hands off what is mine. Now you will die, James Potter." Severus spat down at him and kicked his wand away, making sure the other boy was unable to fight back or heal himself.

People started to scream and call out for someone to help James, but Filius held his hands up. "This is a formal duel! No one can stop it unless yield or death!"

"James! James just yield!" Lily cried out to him.

"Prongs! Hang in there, mate! You get up and kick his arse!" Sirius yelled.

James' vision was going even more blurry without his glasses, it was due to the loss of blood. He was having a hard time breathing, now wheezing and unable to crawl away from Severus.

"I could end you now, but I won't. Why give you the easy way out? When I can watch you suffer like you made me suffer all those years." Severus looked down at him with a sadistic grin on his face.

"Mercy…" James grunted in pain.

"Mercy? Oh no, no. Where was the mercy when you locked me in the broom closets? Where was the mercy when you hung me upside down? What about when you nearly drowned me in the lake? There will be no mercy today." Severus spit in his face, hitting him in the cheek.

Minerva and Poppy looked over to Albus and Garrick. Minerva pulled out her wand, "We have to do something! That is a student in there!"

"He will die unless I get to him!" Poppy agreed, her own wand pulled out.

Both older men shook their heads and continued to watch the life drain from the boy. "This is a formal duel, Minerva. Unless he yields then no one can step in."

"But that curse he used was dark magic!" she said as she pointed to Severus.

"It wasn't an unforgivable, Minerva. It was a slicing hex used in a combat form. Much like your sneaky little lion using a cleaning spell to choke his opponent." Garrick turned to her and scowled.

"Meaning what, Garrick?!"

"I'm merely reminding you that how one uses a spell doesn't justify calling it dark magic. You do well to remember that when your Gryffindors harass others."

Poppy got fed up with their arguing and rushed to the side of the stage closets to James, trying to get as close as the wards would let her. "Potter! You must yield! I cannot help you unless you yield!"

"YIELD! YIELD!" everyone started to chant.

Filius was standing on James' other side, waiting to see if the boy would yield or stop breathing. James looked up to Severus and tried to speak but couldn't. He was able to barely lift his wand hand up with two fingers signaling the yield.

Filius called out loudly with his wand pointed to his throat, "Lord Potter has yielded! Lord Prince is the victor!" he waved his wand, and the surrounding wards dropped.

* * *

Poppy, Minerva and James' friends rushed the stage to help him. Severus moved out of the way and walked to the end of the stage towards Juliet. He paused in front of Nott who was gaping at him in shock. Severus pointed his wand at him with an arched brow, daring him to challenge him for Juliet's hand.

Nott threw up his hands and backed away, "H-hey Snape, it was only a joke. No need to duel."

Severus gave a soft snort and turned away from him, throwing his arms up in just enough time to catch Juliet who had rushed to him. She threw her arms around his neck, and he picked her up and spun her around. When he set her down, she pulled back and started checking him for wounds.

"He's not responding! I can't stop the bleeding!" Poppy called out in a panic. She was waving her wand over James, but nothing was happening. Horace was pouring potions down his throat, but James wasn't improving.

"Mr. Snape! What was the spell you used?! How do we save him?!" Minerva called out to him.

He looked back at her then down to Juliet. She begged him with her eyes, to save the boy who threatened to tear them apart. 'Save him, Severus.'

He groaned and rolled his eyes. "Fine."

They cleared the way for him to get to James and reverse whatever spell he used on him. He held his wand and his left hand over his enemy and softly chanted in Latin. The blood flow stopped, then started to return to James. Everyone stood by and watched as the pool of blood on the stage got smaller and smaller as the blood returned to its owner. After several minutes the wounds healed, and James' color returned to his skin. He was still pale but not the sickly ghost of a color that he was before.

James' eyes fluttered open, and his breathing picked up, trying to catch his breath from when he was unable to inhale without restriction. Severus was knelt over him with his wand and hand still out, looking down at him. "You owe me a life debt, Potter." He snarled.


	47. Chapter 47

Garrick took Severus and Juliet out of school as planned, just later than expected due to the formal duel. They missed the morning Mass, but they were able to make it to an afternoon service that was in Latin. Severus kept his head held high, and Juliet refused to let him out of her embrace. She kept her hand in his or wrapped herself around his arm or waist. Garrick was impressed that Severus was able to keep up with them in the Latin prayers and knew exactly when to sit, kneel and stand.

Just like last year, when they exited the church, reporters were waiting for them at the bottom of the steps with cameras and quills at the ready.

"We heard that you killed young Lord Potter!"

"Is it true that you formally dueled young Lord Lockhart and won without raising your wand?!"

"What other dark magic do you practice?"

"What plans do you and Lady Ollivander have for the future?!"

"Lord Ollivander! Is it true that you already approved of Lord Prince's request for your daughter's hand?!"

Garrick put his hands up to silence them, and they obeyed. He looked over Juliet's head to Severus and gave him a slight nod and a quick twitch of the mouth. Severus took his signal and turned to face Juliet, taking her left hand in his and dropped down to one knee.

"Lady Juliet of House Ollivander, I present this ring to you as intent for your hand in one year's time," Severus announced as he pulled out the small black velvet box. He opened it up at an angle so the reporters and so she could see the ring.

Juliet tried to remain proper for the sake of the public, but her eyes went wide, and her free hand came up to cover her surprised gasp. Her eyes tore from his to look at the ring presented to her. It was white gold with three stones, two small diamonds with a large emerald in the center.

"I formally ask to extend our contract for one more year. Then I will ask for your hand in marriage; if you will have me." He looked up at her and hoped that she could feel and see the things that he wanted to say. This being a formal petition, emotions and love weren't part of the process.

Juliet pulled her wand out and pointed it up, 'Lady Juliet of House Ollivander accepts the extension of the contract with Lord Severus of House Prince.'

Severus took the ring out, pocketed the box, then slid it carefully on her ring finger. Once he stood up, he bowed to her and Garrick then kissed her hand. The formalities now over, Juliet threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. The cameras flashing like crazy, and the reporters begging for a personal interview with the happy couple.

With one arm still wrapped around Juliet, Severus shook Garrick's hand. "Thank you, sir."

"I believe this calls for a celebration. Come, let's go to dinner." Garrick held onto his hand tightly then apparated them from the top steps of the church.

* * *

After Juliet's high-speed chase down across the castle, Severus' duels, and Garrick's show for the reporters, dinner was the calmest part of their day. They went to a nice quiet restaurant in Godric's Hollow that Garrick frequented with his wife many years ago when she was still alive. She had died while giving birth to their son, Garrus, Juliet's real father.

Garrick toasted to the happy couple and brought out the contract for the extension. Once they all signed, he promised Severus that he would seek out his mother personally when his father wasn't home and get her to sign as well. Juliet couldn't keep the smile off her face, nor could she stop looking at the shiny new ring on her finger. Watching her gave Severus a sense of pride and fulfillment. This was what he wanted; she was what he wanted, he was damn sure of it.

After dinner, Garrick returned them to school and hugged Juliet tightly. After he shook Severus' and he left with a small 'pop,' leaving them to walk up the path towards the castle alone. Juliet practically jumped into Severus' arms and squeezed his neck so tight he had to pry her off him.

"Can't breathe." He gasped.

'Sorry.' She still couldn't stop smiling.

He smiled down at her, "I'm guessing you like the ring?"

'I LOVE IT!' she was bouncing on the balls of her feet. 'I can't wait to show Dani and the girls! Oh, wait till Evans sees it- she's gonna shit a niffler!'

Severus laughed loudly and pulled her into a hug, "I thought you didn't care about what Evan's thought?"

Juliet scowled at him and pulled back far enough to give herself room to move her hands, 'I don't when it comes to most thing. Except you. I see the way she looks at you, and I know the angles she's trying to work to get you.'

He scoffed and shook his head, "You never have to worry about Evans getting to me."

Juliet smirked and held up her ring to admire again. 'Not anymore. Wait till the papers announce it.'

"Let's get you inside and out of this cold. You can plan your big ring reveal tomorrow, it's time for bed, Angel." He kissed her temple and led her up the path to the castle.

* * *

The next morning Severus was the talk of the castle. Everyone either cleared the way for him or bowed formally as one would to a higher-ranking house. Now that Severus had defeated two houses in a formal duel, he moved House Prince up the rank in social standing. Not only that, he was now in a pre-engagement- engagement with Juliet, merging House Prince and House Ollivander. Severus thought the whole process and hierarchy was tiring and confusing.

His friends asked him a million questions about where and how he learned that kind of magic, and about his contract extension with Lord Ollivander. They held their heads high and proudly said that Lord Prince was their close friend. They also helped fuel the rumors like wildfire that he was a mighty wizard and was possibly the heir of Slytherin himself. The last part obviously wasn't true, but it didn't stop their fellow peers from believing it.

The morning paper showed the happy couple on the front page. The image of Severus getting down on his knee and presenting the ring playing over and over. Right next to another picture of them hugging and kissing after she accepted the ring. Severus got a lot of pats on the back for that one, with a lot of the boys telling him that he did right by locking her down.

Copies of the Daily Prophet were floating around everywhere, and a few younger students went up to Juliet and Severus in the halls and asked for a signature. Severus' dark scowl and curled lip sent them running away, but Juliet was more than happy to oblige them.

"How is it that you two make the front page, and our engagement on Christmas day was listed in the "In case you missed it" column?" Lucius asked and pointed to himself and Narcissa who was sitting on his right.

They were waiting for their DADA class to start. Avery leaned back in his chair on two legs to look back at him, "Didn't you hear? They're royalty. The Unicorn Princess and the Half-Blood Prince!"

Juliet snorted and playfully hit him on the back of the head with her notebook. 'Shut up!'

"No Snape's a dragon, remember? Ain't that what Lockhart called him?" Yaxley had to put in his two cents from next behind Juliet.

"Yeah, breathing fire and everything." Avery agreed and put his hand up to his mouth to imitate the fire.

"Perhaps it's the way he proposed to her? It was rather romantic and a big show." Narcissa watched Lucius from the corner of her eye. Ignoring the change of topic and bringing up why she thought they weren't on the front page.

"Oh… damn." Avery whispered while cringing and sitting back upright. He wanted nothing to do with that drama.

Their Defense teacher walked in and shut the door behind him while carrying a large box in both arms. "Good morning class!"

"Good morning Professor!" they all called out and quieted down.

Lucius leaned over to Narcissa and hissed, "There were candles and peacocks! That's romance!"

Severus leaned over to Juliet and whispered in her ear, "I promise that I will never incorporate peacocks in anything when I'm trying to be romantic."

Juliet busted out in a series of fast breaths, and her face went red; she was laughing. It caught their Professor's attention, and he decided to call out on her to start the class.

"Lady Ollivander, I hear congratulations are in order." He said and formally bowed.

That meant that Juliet had to stand and return in a formal curtsy. 'Thank you Lord Merrythought.'

Before she had a chance to sit down, he smirked, "While you're up, I'll have you come up and be our volunteer for the demonstration."

She was half-way into her chair before she had to stand up straight again, the boys snickered. "Oh, damn it." She breathed as she moved around the desk and made her way up front.

She stood next to the Professor and faced the class. He cleared his throat and looked out to the class. "Ahem. Today we will be going over the Patronus Charm! Can anyone tell me what that is?"

A few hands went up. He looked around for a few moments and pointed to Amelia. "Yes, Miss Bones?"

"It's the purest and happiest form of magic. It's the only thing that can protect you from a Dementor." She said quietly from her spot next to Yaxley.

A few students had to lean in or ask another student what she said.

"Correct! Five points to Ravenclaw. It is also a form of communication that two people can use; but it takes a lot of magic, energy, and concentration. Many people can only produce wisps of light without any corporal form. Others can produce a Patronus in animal form. I have the Patronus of a fox. Can anyone tell me the name of the spell we use to conjure it?" He started to rock back and forth on the balls of his feet; he usually did that when he began his lectures and Juliet was worried that she would be stuck up there the whole class.

"Anyone? No? It's Expecto Patronum! Which is what Miss Ollivander is going to help me with. She will be the first of you to try and cast a Patronus and show us all how it's done." He announced and winked down at her.

'Oh fuck.' She mouthed and felt her face start to go red now that everyone was looking at her.

He started to walk back and forth behind her to instruct her. "Please pull your wand out and start thinking about the happiest thoughts you can."

She did as she was told and held her wand with a firm grip, but her nerves made her handshake slightly. She looked at Severus who gave her an encouraging smile.

"Think of the first time you ever rode a broom." The Professor said, and he kept pacing behind her.

'I'm afraid of heights.' The little black ribbon spelled out.

"The first time you picked up your wand then? The first time you did a spell correctly? What about the first time you kissed a boy?" Everyone laughed as he leaned in to say the last part quietly, they heard.

She could feel his eyebrows wiggling behind her, and her face reddened even more. The pink tint of her cheeks moving down to her neck. She looked at Severus who raised his own brown, and she bit her lip.

"I'll give you a few more moments to think of your happiest memory. Then when you're ready, I want you to try to cast a Patronus. Everyone- silence please." He instructed and finally stopped pacing.

Juliet scrunched her face and closed her eyes tightly. Happiest memory? That could be several things! The first time she was able to use sign language well enough for her parents to understand her. The first time she went to a soccer game with her father. When she met her grandfather for the first time after the war.

"It's alright… not everyone can produce a Patronus their first time." Her Professor said softly from behind her.

None of those memories would do because they felt so… rehearsed. She opened her eyes and locked gaze with Severus. The first time she saw his portrait in Albus' office, and the first time she met him in the alley behind the wand shop. The first time she kissed Severus. Then she realized that it wasn't a specific memory- it was Severus!

"Ten Galleons says it's a Unicorn," Nott whispered to his friends, and they snickered. Everyone but Severus and Narcissa quickly shook his hand to take that bet. Since they knew that she shared the same fire core as Severus, they had been expecting something like a panther or at least a snake.

She drew her wand into a circle above her head and mouthed the spell, 'EXPECTO PATRONUM!'

The class filled with such a bright light that the students in the two front rows at the shield their eyes. Everyone watched as a large form briefly struggled to escape the tip of her wand then take the shape of something four-legged and large.

"God damn it." She breathed heavily as she watched a large Unicorn trot around the room.

It stopped briefly at Severus in recognition then rushed back to Juliet. It faded as he reached her and the silence around the room finally broke. Everyone busted out laughing and started to call her the Unicorn Princess. Her face was bright red, and she dipped her head down to hide behind her hair.

"Pay up!" Nott yelled out to his friends and held his hand out.

"Quiet everyone! What you just saw was very impressive! Twenty points to Hufflepuff- "

'I'm in Ravenclaw.' Juliet's wand spelled out for him as her free hand rubbed the side of her face in agitation.

"Huh? Oh right. I meant Twenty points to Ravenclaw! Like I said, for Miss Ollivander to cast a corporeal Patronus her first time is a great feat! Not even I was able to do so my first time!" He corrected himself and looked out to the class. "I want all of you to take your wands out and try to cast a Patronus!"

Juliet didn't wait for him to dismiss her from the front of the class. She was so embarrassed that she couldn't stay up there anymore. Severus pulled her chair out for her and couldn't keep the huge smile from his face. She took her seat and gave him a warning glare; daring him to say it.

"Unicorn Princess."

Before he finished the word princess, her hand came up and smacked him on the back of the head.

'Just because we're pre-engaged doesn't mean I won't mess you up.' Her wand flicked in the air angrily as it wrote for her. Her brow was raised as well as her hand that smacked him.

All their surrounding friends busted out in laughter and tried to hide it behind their hands. She looked snapped her angry gaze to Nott and Avery who shut up immediately.

"Sorry…" Severus said and ducked his head down.

She scowled at him for another moment then lowered her wand and her hand.

"Your Highness," Severus mumbled, and his friends busted out laughing again. All the slaps and stinging hexes that she sent at him were well worth it.


	48. Chapter 48

Everyone in the class had to stand up, and the desks were moved out of the way along with their bags. Severus and his friends picked one side of the room and waited for the teacher to instruct them further. Juliet and her friends were standing a few feet away, giving Juliet some time to cool down. Narcissa had thought of it since Juliet couldn't stop scowling at the teasing boys. She stood with the girls and shot Severus a disappointed look.

"Everyone makes space for the center of the room, please! Miss Bones, please step forward and try to cast your own Patronus." Their Professor instructed from the front of the room.

One by one each student stepped forward and tried. Many of them were unable to cast the spell; others only got a faint wisp of silver. Lucius was able to cast his Patronus, and it ended up being a Peacock. His friends wouldn't let him hear the end of it. Now that their focus was no longer on Juliet, she was starting to smile again and ease up.

"It all makes so much sense now. The hair, the robes and the f-f-feathers!" Severus couldn't keep a straight face, he broke out into a thick laugh and threw his head back.

"You know, not all witches or wizards have a magical creature as their Patronus. What Miss Ollivander did, was astounding! I've only known one other person to have a magical animal as a Patronus, and that's the Headmaster. I believe he has a Phoenix. Also, when witches and wizards love each other…"

"Professor, please don't- my da' gave me the talk last summer." Mack interrupted from behind Juliet. The whole class started to laugh, surprisingly so did the Professor.

"That's not where I was going, Miss MacDougal and you know it. When a couple shares the same magical core, or as the muggles call it, find their soul mate; they end up having the same Patronus. My wife, for example, used to have a rabbit as her Patronus." He explained.

Everyone in the class looked at him in awe then looked around at each other. They all seemed to be thinking the same thing when their eyes all landed on Severus.

"Mr. Snape! Perhaps you would like to come and try now?" Merrythought snapped.

He stopped laughing immediately, and everyone in the room could be heard shouting. Collective "Ooh." Could be heard. He pulled his wand out, shoved his sleeves up to his elbows and slicked his hair back.

"I better not have a fucking Unicorn, I swear to the seven hells…" He muttered as he stepped into the center of the room.

Professor Merrythought started to circle Severus, he didn't do that for any of the other students, and it was making him nervous. "Think of the happiest thought you can. Perhaps the first successful potion you've ever made? The first Quidditch match that you won? Or maybe… the little Ravenclaw who you just joined a contract with?"

Severus audibly gulped and closed his eyes as his teacher stepped back from him. Nothing seemed to compare to the happiness that he felt when he thought of Juliet. Which moment? When she healed his wounds in the wand shop? The first time she cooked for him? What about the first kiss, or the even his birthday when they were as close to intimate as they could get for the time being?

It had nothing to do with intimacy; it was the time that she touched his flame. When she lit her fire and joined it with his. He felt complete and pure like she had cleansed him of all his sins at that moment. She didn't care that he was a sinner, she loved him for what he was, and not once did she ever hold it against him. The first time he showed her his light, and she showed him hers, that was it!

" **Expecto Patronum**." He didn't yell the spell like everyone else, but his voice was definite and firm.

Everyone heard it before they saw it. The loud hum in the room like the magic was struggling to come forth. His wand moved on its own, pulling his arm with it to point straight up in the air above his head. The first thing anyone saw was the horn, or was it a spike? Then the massive outline of two wings that spread out.

"Fuck me… it's a unicorn." Severus groaned quietly.

Finally, it's shape became apparent and it was free of the confines of his wand. It was a large and very grumpy looking dragon. It stood taller than Severus and had four legs, rather than the typical ones found in Europe that had two hind legs and walked on their clawed wings. It shook its head like a wet dog trying to dry itself and started to circle the room.

The dragon turned its attention to their Professor who stood his ground and beamed at it. "Excellent, Mr. Snape! Twenty points to Slytherin!"

The dragon reared its head back to let out a beastly roar, but nothing came out. A Patronus didn't make any noise unless the caster used it to send a message. Seeing its dilemma, it used its tail to knock over the teacup and saucer on his desk, and it crashed loudly. That seemed to please the dragon, and it moved on.

Everyone was in awe and stepping back as far as the outer walls would let them. The dragon held its head high and only bent it as if to sniff someone it didn't particularly like. When it got to Juliet's side of the room, it picked up its pace and made two girls quickly jump out of its way. When it saw Nott standing too close to Juliet, it pulled back its lips and bared its massive teeth. The dark-haired boy jumped away from her and shoved Dani in front of him.

The giant beast lowered its head and wings to Juliet's level then made to nuzzle her neck, but it vanished into a thin cloud as soon as she reached her hand up to pet it. She locked eyes with Severus across the room and smiled at him. The intense look that he was giving her told her that his happiest memory was her as well.

"First of all, that was wicked!" Mack said and gave Severus a thumb up. "But Professor, you said that similar cores have the same Patronus. Why didn't Snape have a unicorn?"

"You mean, why didn't she have a dragon?" Severus said hotly and folded his arms across his chest. His was still in his right hand, and he was scowling at her through the curtain of his hair.

Professor Merrythought either didn't hear Severus, or he was ignoring him, "Ahem. Yes, it may be too soon to tell if it will be or not. Most of the time they don't change until later in life, or it may change when they… join."

"Ugh- okay. No need to explain, I got it." Mack held her hand up and cringed.

The Professor looked around as Severus walked back to the side of the room. "Well how about it, Mr. Nott? Come on up!"

Nott shook his head and waved his hand across his neck in a cutting movement. "No sodding way. I don't have a chance to top a bloody dragon!"

* * *

The weather was warming up now that they were going towards the end of March. Garrick had sent a letter to Severus reminding him that it would look best for his Apprenticeship and the Ministry that he had his potion done by the end of the month. He explained that after he gained his Mastery, it would open many doors for him to work in the Ministry if he so chose.

So, he buckled down and worked from sunrise to sunrise on weekends, before classes, after classes and even skipping dinner some days. Juliet knew this was extremely important to him so stayed out of his way as much as possible. That didn't mean she didn't stop taking care of him though. Juliet would bring sandwiches from lunch and a plate of dinner from dinner. Other times she would bring him a muffin or some toast in the mornings. Always leaving it in the same place on his desk for him to eat when he could.

All he had to do was reach over blindly in the spot by his journal, and he would be touching something to eat. It was a habit at this point, and he had fallen into a steady groove and making fast progress on his work. He had sent three trials to Remus and had been waiting for results. Their only restriction is that the potions had to be tested during the week of the full moon. Once Garrick had sent back the results to his latest tests, he requested that Severus submit his report, sample and detailed recipe for final Ministry approval and patenting.

Being ahead of schedule and successful in completing his Ministry contract, he was paid out the agreed upon amount and sent the official patent and Ministry referral for his use in applying for future jobs. He was also featured in the Potions Weekly journal, and on the cover of the next morning's Daily Prophet for being the first ever potioneer to brew a cure for lycanthropic side effects successfully.

That also meant that Remus could return to school a few days after the full moon. His friends greeted him at the front gates with huge smiles and crushing hugs. They had planned a big welcome back party for him, but no one showed. They didn't want to be anywhere near the werewolf boy who had nearly killed Snape. He couldn't say that it didn't bother him, but he understood completely. Now that he had the monthly potion delivered to him by the Ministry, his temper and hormones were in check, and he could think clearly.

His friends noticed the drastic change in their friend immediately. He no longer smiled or joked like he used to; instead, he was quiet and kept his head down. They were confident that it would go away over time, but it probably never would.

"Something like that humbles you, ya know?" he had told them when they asked him for the hundredth time about why he was weird.

Severus kept Juliet at his side always in class whenever Remus was in the same room. He wouldn't let the teacher partner her with anyone else and made sure to put himself between them at all times. Severus would scowl at the other boy every chance he got but never attacked. He didn't want to jeopardize any chance he had with the Ministry, Garrick or the new pureblood club with Lord Voldemort.

Speaking of, news of Severus victory in two duels and show of wandless core magic had reached the up and coming Dark Lord. Lucius had written to his father about it, and he told his master. He was curious about Severus and sent word through Lucius that he wanted to meet him during the summer. Severus would get a chance to prove himself and possibly joining the exclusive club.

When Severus told Juliet about the fantastic new opportunity, he had with this man she panicked. She kept telling him that it was a horrible idea and that he shouldn't meet with Lord Voldemort, but Severus couldn't understand why. She couldn't and wouldn't tell him that it was going to be his downfall and that the man couldn't be trusted. Severus said to her that unless she gave him a valid point, he was at least going to talk to the man first.

So, she did the only thing she could think of. She went to Dumbledore.

* * *

They hadn't had their weekly meetings since Severus had gotten out of the hospital. After she had her first chance in memories and the intense migraines. Now that they knew how she would react to changes, he didn't need to see her weekly. She just had to report when something changed.

"Miss Ollivander, have you had any memory changes?" he asked when she came to his office.

She shook her head, 'No, but Severus has gotten a letter from Lord Voldemort. He wants to meet him this summer.'

He looked over his glasses at her and leaned back in his chair, "But your memory hasn't changed, what is the problem?"

Shock wasn't the emotion that she was feeling, but it sure was the one that was on her face. 'What's the problem?! He is heading down the path to be a Death Eater! What happened to saving people?'

Albus sighed and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk in front of him. "He's going down his intended path that the Order needs. If Severus doesn't join Tom, then we won't be able to trigger certain events and save the others."

She wanted to slap him, but she didn't. 'Save the others? What about him?! What about Severus? What about the greater good bullshit that you keep shoving in my face?'

"Language, Miss Ollivander. You're still speaking to your Headmaster." He warned her and raised his brow.

"I don't give a fuck. What are you going to do? Send me back in time again?' she put her hands on her hips and gave him a look that dared him to try her.

His silence meant that she won, so she continued. 'I need to tell Severus. You can't push him into this; he has the right to know."

Albus stood quickly and pointed a finger at her. "You are not to tell him anything! It could severely damage the timeline and alter things we don't need."

'What's this WE that I keep hearing? You haven't' been looking out for anyone but yourself! I will tell him and let him make his own choice. I will not have him die because you need him NOT to kill you.' She took a step closer to his desk.

"That's not true! Besides, you know when his death is, we still have a chance to avoid it or have a serum ready for when the snake- "he was cut off by Juliet covering her ears with the palms of her hands.

'Don't say it! Don't you dare will that into existence! And fuck you for saying that twenty years is enough time with him. You can go right to hell!' she was now leaning over his desk as well, both staring each other down angrily.

"He will never believe you."

'Wanna bet?'

"How will you explain this little project that you've been working on?" he smirked at her and wiggled his left brow.

She stood up straight suddenly as if his words physically hit her. 'What?'

"Knowing his future, the things that are yet to come, accepting his contract… and this whole time you were looking for a way to go back home. To your time. How is he going to take it when he finds out that you're planning on leaving him? After… all… this… time…" he ended his last sentence with long drawn out pauses to get his point across.

'Papa was right; all Dumbledore's are arseholes.'


	49. Chapter 49

Nearing the end of the school year, Juliet had to prepare for her Ancient Runes final. She was to stand in front of the class and present her research project to the class. The problem is that she hated being the center of attention and the verbal part of it. The teacher said that she would be able to write on the board or use her wand to communicate; since no one in the class knew sign language.

Juliet had been dead set on telling Severus the truth about her being from the future but didn't know how or when to say it. He was just getting back into Quidditch, which she was against because she didn't want him to get hurt, and she needed to get his project done in time for her final grade. She was ready to throw her astronomy project out the window, literally from the top of the astronomy tower. Except she was using that for her astronomy final as well.

Severus was still busy in the lab, as usual, catching up on orders for his apprenticeship and the special project he had taken on. He refused to tell her what it was, not like she pushed too hard anyway, but it was to give her a voice and him his hearing back. She was so busy with her final projects that it was easy to research and experiment on it when she was in the lab with him.

He still didn't trust Remus as far as he could throw him, so he insisted that he walk her to all classes and pick her up from them as well. He didn't care if he was late to his other classes or if a potion was in the middle stages, he was going to be there for her. Especially the midnight classes on Wednesdays for Astronomy. He waited at the bottom of the stairs the full two hours until she was done and walked her to her dorm.

Remus had kept his distance from Juliet. Not only because he was afraid of Severus, but Juliet only looked in his direction if it was to glare daggers at him. He got the hint, so he kept his head down and spent most of his time catching up on the work that he missed. Everyone gave him a wide berth and refused to sit near him since finding out that he was a werewolf. He sighed heavily every time he sat by himself or had to do group activities alone. Only a year and a half left until graduation.

* * *

The day of her verbal presentation Juliet had practiced in front of the mirror and Severus three times that morning. He thought she was adorable with her queue cards, wand in hand and ancient rune diagram on the board behind her. She had worn the hair clips that he bought her, to keep herself form hiding behind her bangs.

"You're going to do great." He assured her as they stood outside the class she was dreading.

'I'm so nervous… what if I'm a disaster and everyone makes fun of me?' she bit her lip in worry.

He tucked her blue tie into the front of her robes, "They won't even dare to, because they will have me to answer to. Now go in there and show them how to apparate without wand or portkey."

She took a deep breath, adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and stood up straight. 'I got this.'

"Go get 'em, tiger." He chuckled and opened the door for her.

Juliet walked into class and sat down at her usual desk, took her things out and waited for class to begin and the teacher to call her up to the front. Remus sat behind her and a row over, keeping his head down and his eyes on alert. The potion might have knocked the instincts of the wolf down to controllable, but he still had heightened senses.

"Miss Ollivander, please come up and present your final."

Juliet took a deep breath and stood up shakily. She gathered her note cards and pulled out her wand, making her way to the front of the class.

"You may begin when you are ready."

She waved her wand above her head and began her presentation. 'My research project is about using runes to create a portkey instead of an object or a wand to apparate.'

* * *

Forty-five minutes later and Juliet was drained both magically and physically. Her final research project had peaked the interest of her Professor and her peers. The questions came quickly, and her twenty-minute presentation was now taking up the whole period. Using her wand to communicate took a lot of energy and magic to maintain. She wasn't able to use sign language since no one but Severus understood her.

The bell rang, and everyone looked around surprised at the sound.

"Wow, that was the fastest period ever."

Her Professor stood up from her desk and cleared her throat. "Excellent, Miss Ollivander. Top marks! Everyone remember that we will continue with presentations tomorrow and be ready for those who are scheduled!" She dismissed them and walked into her office to prepare for her next class.

Juliet let out a long breath and closed her eyes before attempting to gather her books. She leaned against the desk, and her shoulders slumped. Remus was hovering a few desks over, with a worried look on his face as he watched his ex-friend struggle. He could tell something was wrong but didn't know how to offer his help or ask her if she was alright. He knew she wanted nothing to do with him but that didn't mean he didn't care at all.

Juliet threw everything in her bag, crushing some important scrolls for her next class, which was very unlike her. Then she heaved the heavy bag over her shoulder, but its weight was more than she was able to handle in her current state. Once the bag went back so did she, not able to put her hands out to catch herself. Remus was there in a heartbeat, and he caught her before she hit the ground, nearly falling with her because she threw him off balance with her bag.

"I gotcha!" he stood up straight and tried to stand her upright, but she just leaned into him even more. "Juliet? Juliet!" He tried to shake her and get her attention but her eyes were half-lidded, and she wasn't responding.

"Mr. Lupin, what happened?!" their Professor called out from her office doorway.

"She just collapsed! What do I do?" he was panicking.

"To the Hospital Wing now! Let's go- do you have her? Or shall I float her along?"

"I got her- lead the way."

Remus picked her up bridal style and kicked her bag out from under the desk for their teacher to grab on the way out. They rushed through the halls and luckily they weren't too far from the Hospital Wing in the first place. Madame Pomfrey shot up from her desk and pointed to a bed while rushing there herself.

"What happened?" she asked urgently.

"She just collapsed after her presentation," Remus explained and set her down on the bed and stepped back to give room.

The medi-witch waved her wand several times before letting out a sigh of relief. "She's drained her magical core. She was using her wand wasn't she?"

"Yes." The Professor and Remus answered.

Regs and Yaxley came rushing through the large door, opening it with a loud bang. They skidded to a halt at the foot of her bed with their wands drawn and eyes set on Remus. "We saw you carrying her down the hall, what did you do Lupin?"

"I didn't do anything." He put his hands up and stepped back, hitting the bed behind him.

"Boys! Put those wands away this instant! Mr. Lupin helped me bring Miss Ollivander here after she collapsed." The Ancient Rune Professor explained.

"Well good news is a few potions and a big meal, and she will be right as rain," Pomfrey explained then went to her stores to get the needed potions. When she returned she poured them down Juliet's throat and used her want to bring her back to consciousness.

She blinked a few times and struggled to sit up. 'Hello.' She signed awkwardly.

"Miss Ollivander, you collapsed in Ancient Runes because you depleted your magical core. You'll be fine with the potions I gave you, but you need a hearty meal and a good nights rest. I don't see a need to keep you overnight." Pomfrey explained.

"We got her Ma'am. We'll take her down to the kitchens straight away since lunch has passed. Then we'll get her to the tower straight away, promise." Regs said and held his hand out to Juliet and helped her out of bed.

"Straight to bed, Mr. Black. I don't want her coming back here tonight because she overexerted herself going up the stairs." Pomfrey said sternly and went to the back of the hospital.

Regs scowled at Remus but put his wand away. "Go on then, you aren't needed anymore. Her friends will take care of her."

Sensing the tension in the room, their Professor said, "Well good work Mr. Lupin. Twenty points to Gryffindor for helping another student in need. Let's go."

Remus nodded and kept his head down as he followed everyone out of the hospital wing. He stood in the hall awkwardly as he watched the two Slytherin boys lead Juliet to the dungeons. He briefly wondered if Severus knew already since her boyfriend was extremely protective of her. He decided to wait a little bit in front of the hospital wing in case Severus came around, then he could let him know what happened and where Juliet was. It was the least he could do, then maybe he would be able to apologize for attacking him and thank him for creating the potion that eased his Lycanthropy.

Juliet looked back at Remus before turning the corner. 'Thank you.'

* * *

"What do you mean she isn't here?" Severus asked Flitwick. He had come to pick Juliet up from her Charms class. He didn't have time to walk her from Ancient Runes to Charms, but he would usually pick her up from this class and escort her to dinner.

"Exactly what I said, Mr. Snape. I got a note from Madam Pomfrey earlier that excused her from classes the rest of the day. Perhaps she is in the Hospital Wing."

Severus didn't need to hear the rest of his sentence, he had already taken off towards the other side of the castle when he heard the small man say Pomfrey's name. He hoped that she wasn't hurt or injured but chances of being excused by the school's nurse for good behavior wasn't likely. His mind raced to all the possibilities that could have happened.

Lupin attacked her, perhaps he pushed her down the stairs on the way to their next class? He was always nervous about that boy returning to school and even more so when he was put in the same courses as Juliet without Severus present. Sure there was a chance that she could have gotten hurt another way but things never happened until Remus was in school.

"Snape! Over here." Remus called out from the bench in front of the large doors leading into the Infirmary.

"I don't have time for your blathering nonsense." He spat and went to grab the handle of the door.

"She's not here anymore," Remus said from his spot on the bench. He was standing now but didn't move forward.

"Explain." Severus turned on his heel and had his wand in his hand before his robes settled back into place.

"She drained her magical core during her presentation. Her little ribbon words- she used them too much. She collapsed at the end of class. So the Professor and I brought her here, then Pomfrey gave her some potions and sent her with your friends to the kitchens." Remus shuffled his feet back and forth, and his eyes darted to Severus' face every not and then, unable to hold it's gaze.

"What friends?" Severus growled through grit teeth.

"Regs and the blond one, Waxley I think."

Severus didn't thank him or even reply to his explanation of how Juliet ended up in this situation. He needed to find her and see her for himself before he could stop the hammering in his heart. Turning on his heel again he made a beeline for the kitchens, ignoring Remus' poor attempt to continue the conversation.

* * *

"Snape! There you are! Coming to the kitchens as well?" Mulciber called out as he exited the Slytherin common room.

"How the bloody hell does everyone know about this but me?" He snarled as he kept his pace.

Mulciber fell into step with him and laughed, "Why are you so serious all the time? I heard from Lucius, who heard from Regs that there's a party in the kitchens right now. He got some marijuana that he bought off a Muggle-born Hufflepuff in second period."

Severus scowled at his friend "You don't have any questions or concerns about anything that just came out of your mouth?"

"Should I? Rowle nicked some liquor from Slughorn's office, and he should be there already as well."

When Severus walked into the kitchens, he didn't expect to see his girlfriend sitting at the large table with most of his friends. Nor did he expect to see her laughing and drinking by a stack of waffles taller than her on the table.

"Snape!" His friends called out in cheer.

Juliet's half-lidded eyes widened slightly when she saw him, and she smiled. She carefully got up and rushed over to him, knocking him a step back with the force of her hug. 'Hey… you.' She signed sloppily.

"You? Did you forget my name? What happened to you? Are you alright? What did Lupin do? Why are your eyes red?" He spout off questions as fast as he could think of them.

She blinked at him slowly and licked her lips, she brought her hands up and signed. 'How do you make a waffle without a waffle maker?'

"Oh shit, she's on to something. Listen to this, Snape. Or watch her- whatever." Yaxley pointed to Juliet with two fingers that had a lit joint in between them.

"Yeah Snape, it's some deep shit. Like, mind-blowing." Avery said with a full mouth of waffles.

"First of all, shut up. Second, how the hell can you understand her?" he glared at his friends.

"She taught us a little bit ago. Now shush and learn." Regs pointed to Juliet.

Severus looked back down at the little Ravenclaw who was trying to get his attention. 'It's a limited market! Corporation controlled! Like, like the inventor of the waffle went up to the people and, and he did the thing.'

Severus' brows raised in confusion and concern, she wasn't making any sense. "The inventors went to patent their idea?"

'Yes! That thing! Like their presentation was like- "I invented this thing- it's delicious. It's like a pancake with syrup cups in it. I call it the waffle." And the money people were all like "Amazing! How do you make it?" and the guy's all like "With this invention I made. It's called the waffle maker. The only way that you can make this deliciousness is to buy my maker." And that's probably how the waffle was made. It's a limited market- it's all fixed and connected, to get our money because they know we want waffles.' Her hands were moving so fast it was hard or Severus to keep up with some of it.

He didn't even respond to her whole explanation of the history of waffles. Instead, he scowled at his friends. "You got her high."

"Will you calm down? She's fine, and she's eaten. On doctor's orders, mind you. Relax, have a beer and a smoke." Regs said from the table and took a hit of the joint that Yaxley passed him.

"Try a waffle. Juliet made them." Avery said with his mouth still full.


	50. Chapter 50

**So it's been awhile...**

**Can I just put into perspective that Speechless ended at 50 chapters.. and this is the 50th chapter of Aphelion... and it's only a quarter of the way done. Just giving you a heads up of how long this thing is gonna be.**

**I lost my muse... so... hang with me alright?**

**This chapter is juliet and the bogart. I didn't edit this chapter so blah.**

**Next chapter is juliet and albus. Sev has questions.**

* * *

Severus had gotten to work on making potions for Juliet again, this time ones that would help restore and maintain her magical core. He was worried that this wouldn't be the first time she would drain herself. Juliet told him not to worry about it but, of course, that didn't stop him.

"I will not have you in that condition again. I have the means to provide for you, so let me do so." Severus wasn't going to take no for an answer when he offered her the potions.

'I'm saying that there's no need to worry. I will make sure it doesn't happen again.' Juliet signed and pushed the potions away from her.

"I won't have a need to worry if you do as I say and take what I provide for you." He growled as he thrust them into her hands.

She gave him a thoughtful smile and took them from him. 'I'll keep them in my bag.'

"You'll keep them on you-" he was starting to argue with her again.

She put a hand up to stop him, and she shook her head 'I always have my bag on me, and if I start to feel lightheaded or weak, I will take a potion.'

He scowled and exhaled loudly, "Angel… give the Demon some peace of mind and let me take care of you. Promise me." His right hand reached out to cup her cheek.

She tilted her head, nuzzling his hand with her face and sighing in contempt. 'I promise.'

He tilted his head the opposite direction as hers and bent to her height, "Promises are sealed with a kiss."

Her lips were the softest thing he'd ever felt, warm and welcoming. Juliet pulled back from his lips but continued her kisses along his jaw. Her trail leading her along each of the scars on his face; some of them dark red and still healing.

He chuckled when her teeth tugged at his earlobe, "If you keep that up. We will be late for defense class."

She responded by raking her fingers through his hair and grabbing a handful, giving it a small tug. A grunt escaped his throat, a second later he had her pinned against the workbench behind her. It had been weeks since either of them had release, or had been intimate with each others needs. With his projects and her finals, both had been too busy to take time for each other.

He claimed her mouth and they both fought to control their pace. She always gave into him and let him take over, with his hand around her throat and growling orders. She tugged on his bottom lip with her teeth, then began to sick it gently.

"I will give you something to put in your mouth." He warned. When he saw the smirk cross her face he grabbed her by the waist and put her on the tabletop. He forced her legs apart with his knee and grinded himself against her; causing her to gasp.

Juliet began to unbuckle him when the bell rang as the second warning for time. She was fit to ignore it but he caught her hands in his and stopped kissing her. Severus chuckled at her pouting face and panting breath.

"After dinner. We cannot miss our finals, otherwise I would have you bent over that stool." His voice was like gravel. As tempting as she was, he knew they couldn't miss the final for their Defense class. Garrick would come down on him like the rains down in Africa.

'We're already going to be late.' She had pulled her hands from his grasp, then tried to keep working on his belt.

He squeezed her neck gently, just enough to get the attention he demanded. "I will not have you fail Defense. Come."

She huffed and hunched her shoulders, 'Well I was trying too.'

He tilted her face up and pulled her closer, "I will have you begging…. Begging me to stop. Now tidy me and get your things. We are going to class."

Her pupils dilated, her eyes fixated on his then briefly glancing at the stool he mentioned earlier. "Yes Demon." Her tongue slowly traced her bottom lip.

* * *

"Listen up everyone! Your end of the year final will be based on a live demonstration against a creature of my choice. You will not know what it is, that's what I'm preparing you for. You will have to think on your feet and react to your surroundings! Everyone got it?" Professor Merrythought looked around the room at the uneasy faces that stared back at him.

He clapped his hands together and rubbed them with excitement, "So, who shall come up first?"

The classroom door opened and Juliet stepped in with Severus right behind her. Everyone looked back at them and started to whisper and laugh.

"Sorry Professor, we got lost." Severus said smoothly. James and his friends had used that same excuse last week and it was accepted.

"Really?" the Professor said sarcastically. "Well, you're just in time for the final. Miss Ollivander, while you're standing- come on up! You're first one up."

She was making her way to their seats and nearly lost her footing when he called her name. "Aw, shit." She huffed as she threw her bag down by her chair.

"Hurry, we have others to get to. Wand out and be prepared for anything he instructed as he stepped back from the front of the room.

Juliet looked back at Severus who gave her a reassuring nod. "Ready for what?" she mouthed.

"On my count!" he called out from the back of the room with his wand out.

'For what?' her ribbon wrote quickly.

"ONE!"

Her eyes went wide and turned to look at the truck beside her. "Wait!" she mouthed.

"TWO!"

She pointed her wand at the trunk that started to bounce around, cautiously backing away from it.

"THREE!" he waved his wand at the trunk and the lid sprung open.

Juliet put her other hand up as a shield, ready to conjure the flames. Nothing came out of the trunk, from everyone's perspective it was empty. She stepped closer to try and get a peak but still saw nothing.

Professor Merrythought's smile fell, "What the… I swear it was in there."

Everyone in the class laughed until they saw their teacher start to look around the room. "She can't be afraid of nothing…" he mused as he looked behind a bookcase.

Juliet backed away from the trunk again, afraid of something springing out that she was unable to see. She had backed herself near one of the tapestries by the front window. Hearing a loud hiss and thump from behind her, she jumped and spun around with her wand drawn.

The tapestry quickly morphed into a large framed painting hanging on the wall. It was the portrait of the older Severus, hanging on his canvas and begging for help. Juliet froze, her wand hand shaking and her jaw dropped.

The present Severus sat forward in his seat and drew his own wand. Ready to jump in and save her but froze when he saw the person in the portrait. Could it be? Was that his father? An unknown relative? That man looked far too familiar and it shook him.

The future Albus' voice code be heard as a loud echo " **A brave man he is! We won the war because of him!** "

"Miss Ollivander, use the proper spell!" the Professor instructed.

Her mouth moved but her wand did nothing. Her greatest fear was being unable to save Severus, until the portrait morphed into the full body of the current Albus. His gleaming eyes and too wide smile looking down on her.

" **I've been expecting you.** "

" **That was the outcome of the last attempt.** "

Juliet lowered her wand, but her feet were frozen in place. She was shaking her head back and forth, mouthing no over and over again.

" **You know his name is on this list.** "

The fake Albus took a step forward, his hands holding out a large gold urn. The same one that sent her back in time.

" **You failed. You need to return to your own t-** "

The bogart suddenly glowed purple and morphed into a giant wacky waveble inflatable flailing arm tube man. The kind often seen in front of muggle car dealers. Someone from the back of the room cleared their throat loudly.

"Ahem. Apologies for interrupting, Professor. Miss Ollivander and I had a meeting that she missed." The real Albus said from the doorway. He pocketed his wand, he was the one who had sent the spell at the bogart.

Everyone jumped and looked back at their Headmaster. Severus was already scowling at the man with his wand gripped tightly. He had no idea about what was going on but he was damn sure it had to do with the old man. If Juliet's greatest fear was the Headmaster, then it had to be for good reason.

Juliet looked stunned, stiffly making her way to tree he back of the room towards her teachers.

"Uh… very well. We will continue her final when she returns… Mr. Potter, you're next."

Severus tried to go to her but was told to sit down and wait his turn. Albus assured him that she would return before dinner.


	51. Chapter 51

**This chapter is hella short. I lost my muse. Then I found it. Its telling me to start two new fics. Ugh. So... I have a super cute idea for a new juliet and sev fic.**

**Sev is just starting out as potions master or not even a teacher yet. Haven't planned that far. AMD juliet works at the new wand shop I'm hogsmeade. Garrick is branching out. Yay. Sev tries to work up courage to ask the new girl in town out. Fluff and death eater funnies included of course.**

**This chapter is albus and juliet. Can she keep up the lie?**

**Next chapter is summer and spinners end.**

**My kids first birthday is on may 22nd and I feel so friggin old.**

* * *

"There's no need to be afraid of me." Albus gave her a small smile and leaned back in his seat.

They were in his office and he had ordered them tea and biscuits.

Juliet rolled her eyes and pointed her wand up. 'I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of your meddling and your decisions.'

"Meddling? I don't know what you mean. I'm saving lives." He shook his head and fidgeted in his seat.

'You're playing God. Changing people's fates and pulling the strings you want. That's pretty damn scary to me.' Juliet didn't touch her tea, she kept her arms crossed and her head held high.

"That's not considered meddling. Interfering and saving are better words." He countered.

'And the muggle inflatable? That was tacky.' She added.

He scoffed and put a hand to his chest, " _Tacky?_  That was gold!"

They started at each other for several moments before he finally spoke again. "You mustn't tell him. It will jeopardize everything."

'I can't keep lying to him. He's already suspicious of our meetings, he still hasn't gotten over the werewolf thing.' She pushed her hair away from her face.

"It will be fine. I'm not saying that we never tell him. I'm saying that we don't tell him right now. It can wait until after you two graduate. I want you both to focus on school and let things play out for now."

'If I don't tell him he will figure it out. I can take him being angry at me, but I can't handle him hating me.' Juliet wasn't asking anymore.

Albus scowled, "You tell him and you kill him. Once he finds out that you know his future and planned to leave him he will want nothing to do with you. You will be the one to push him into the Dark path, not Lily Evans."

Juliet's eyes went wide, her fists clenched on the arms of the chair. Albus held a hand up to stop whatever insult she had lined up.

"All I'm asking for is time. Keep this under wraps until you graduate. This gives me time to prepare and plan for this, because when you tell him it  _will_  change the outcome. Contrary to what you believe, I have been working on a way to save him."

Juliet looked down at her feet and bit her lip, she knew he was right. This gave her time to figure things out on her end. A little bit longer to figure out how she was going to tell him and how she was going to save him from dying.

* * *

Severus was pacing outside of the stone gargoyle, he refused to go to dinner without Juliet. Not after she left Defense class nearly in tears. He couldn't wrap his head around the things that happened, she was afraid of the Headmaster and a jar of dirt?

He didn't know if it was full of dirt, he couldn't see in it or through it, or was just his first guess. Then again, why would a jar that fancy have dirt of all things in it? Severus cursed at himself for not realizing it was an urn sooner. Someone had died? Were those the ashes of her mother? Then who was the man in the painting?

His thoughts went back to when Jiggers mentioned she had a brother. She never mentioned him and neither did Garrick, so that man could have been her older brother. Was he dead? Could that be why neither Ollivander talked about him? Severus did notice that the room he stayed in at their home was decorated as a teenage boys room. Perhaps that man was her brother who died and the urn his ashes?

The stone gargoyle finally moved and the stairs spun Juliet and Albus into view. "Ahh, Mr. Snape! Kind of you to escort Miss Ollivander to dinner."

Severus did escort Juliet but it wasn't to dinner. He took her to the potions lab so he could get his answers. Once the door was closed he pulled her to him tightly.

"Are you hurt?" he asked immediately.

She shook her head no and leaned into his hand that cupped her cheek.

"In class… What was that?" she didn't think he would jump right into it.

She bit her lip and looked down, Albus told her not to say anything but he never gave her an alibi. She needed to think of something and fast.

Sending her discomfort, Severus tried to make it easier on her. "Was he your brother?"

Her eyes snapped to his. "Who?" she mouthed.

"That man in the portrait. Portraits are made of the deceased, and the Headmaster holding the urn… it was your brother's ashes right? The Headmaster said you needed to return home or something. " Severus offered.

He just made this easy for Juliet, that was a hell of a lot better than her plan to claim insanity. 'Yes.' Did she seem convincing? She wasn't buying it. She was a horrible liar.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I figured your brother was a touchy topic when Master Jiggers mentioned you had a brother. Then I never met him and you never spoke of him, I figured that he must have passed. How old was he?"

Juliet froze and nearly bit her tongue off. How could they not have thought to hush the neighbors?! Of one of them slips to her real father in Rome who was the same age as her now, then they would all he screwed. If she tells everyone he's dead then it could blow up in her face. Then again she would only need to keep the lie up for another year or so.

'He was thirty eight and he was the bravest man I ever knew.'


	52. Chapter 52

* * *

The school year ended, and Severus had gotten most of his projects transferred with Professor Slughorn's help. They moved everything to Jiggers' home in Cokeworth, Severus would be spending most of his time there to finish up his Apprenticeship. He wanted to be excited to start his summer work because he would be learning from Jiggers directly, but knowing that he wouldn't be able to see Juliet every day like last summer gave him anxiety.

He knew that Jiggers would be keeping him in Cokeworth for a majority of the summer to focus more on his hands on training. His Apprenticeship would be more intense than Slughorn had put him through, even though his orders came from Jiggers himself via owl or floor.

It wasn't missing her on the emotional level as his girlfriend, it was the physical touching that he was worried about missing the most. Of course, he loved the heavy petting and intimate touching and tasting, but it was more than that. He needed her soft touches, her light kisses and little whispers to keep him together. He'd gone through so many years growing up without any sort of physical contact, and now that he had it he didn't want to let it go. He was sure that he could see her on weekends, it wasn't good enough. The daily routine of her affection that he would miss and caused him to have a mild panic attack. He called it mild, Juliet called it freaking out.

They had gotten a compartment on the train to themselves. Severus made sure to lock and ward the door, no one would be able to enter, especially his friends. He wanted to have her all to himself for the final hours of the trip. He was sitting sideways in the bench seat with Juliet curled up in his lap. She was running her fingers through his hair and placed gentle kisses along his jaw line every now and then.

"I will miss you." He admitted to her halfway through the trip. He wasn't good with words right now, not when he was afraid of losing her.

'This isn't a goodbye, Severus. I will see you this summer, even if I have to beg Papa into taking me to you.' She smiled sweetly.

He tensed and his eyes focused on her, with a firm voice he said: "You cannot come to see me. Promise me you will not travel to see me. You will wait for me to come to you. Promise me."

'But-'

"It isn't safe. I do not live in the safe neighborhood that you do. Not only that, my father hates anything and everything to do with magic." He couldn't outright tell her that his father was an abuser and a drunk.

'What if I-' She couldn't understand why he was pushing her away all of a sudden when he just told her that he missed her.

" **Promise me.** " He clenched his fists and squeezed her tightly against him.

She let out a small sigh and gave him a sad look, 'I promise.'

He relaxed but didn't loosen his hold on her, "When we graduate we never have to be apart again. I have a plan, it's all going to work out. I promise."

Juliet nodded and didn't press on the matter. She knew that he still had intentions of meeting with Lord Voldemort, she hoped that it wasn't this summer. Part of keeping Severus alive in the future was keeping him the hell away from the Dark Lord. If only he believed her when she told him she didn't want power or money from him.

'Just the two of us.' She confirmed and kissed him tenderly.

She held her hand up between them and lit her small flame, making it hover in her palm. He tilted his forehead to hers and joined his flame to hers. They sighed in unison and he felt her longing for him, the need to keep him close to her. She felt his loneliness and fear of losing her. Then they both felt their love for each other.

* * *

Watching her walk away from him at the train station was the hardest thing to see. She kept looking over her shoulder at him with her bottom lip quivering. Then Garrick nodded at him, put his hand on her shoulder then disaparated them away and Severus was left alone in the crowd.

"Lord Prince, I hope you are ready to get to work."

Severus looked over his shoulder and saw Master Jiggers standing in full robes with his arms behind his back. "Master… what are you doing here?" he turned to greet him fully, with his hand out to shake.

Jiggers shook his hand firmly and motioned for him to follow him off the platform, "You are my apprentice and there is much to do in a short amount of time. I also know that without your apparation license or that fancy motorbike it would be a long way home."

Severus looked around quickly, not seeing his mother anywhere. He hadn't thought of how he was going to get home or even owl his mother before hand. All of his focus had been on Juliet and how he could get back to her instead of home.

"She isn't here, I notified her that I would gather you myself. She is aware that you will be home later this week." He continued, as he led Severus to the same spot that Garrick and Juliet just left from.

"This week?" Severus was thrown off completely and had no idea what Jiggers was talking about.

"It's time for some hands on training. Here. Drink quickly." He instructed and handed him a small vial of something blue.

"What-" Severus was cut off by Jiggers pressing the vial to his lips and forcing his head back. The bitter taste nearly made him gag. "What the hell was that?" he coughed.

"Anti-venom for most of the snakes and insects we are going to harvest. Here's your passport, keep that on you at all times- the Magia Federali's don't take kindly to visitors without them. Are you ready?" Jiggers said and put his hand on Severus' shoulder.

"Harvesting?" Severus' brows shot up and he tightened his hold on the handle to his trunk.

"Yes, the fresher the ingredients the better. Are you ready?"

"Wait- wait- where are we going? What are you talking about?"

Jiggers sighed and rolled his eyes. "Didn't Horace give you my last letter? Your Apprenticeship is due for a 'field trip', we are going to Brazil so that I can show you how to properly gather ingredients."

"You know very well Slughorn didn't give me shite. Why Brazil?" Severus was shocked and nervous. He heard that international travel was extremely hard to do by apparating, let alone sidelong.

"I need nocturnal Amaryllis for a big order I have to fill. Two owls, one gobstone. On the count of three. One."

Before Severus could open his mouth and protest he felt the pull behind his navel and the world spinning around them as he held onto his trunk for dear life. He was certain that he was going to vomit if they ever stopped moving. He didn't know which was worse, the colors or the speed.

"Breathe." Jiggers ordered once they stopped moving and had made it safely in the Brazilian Ministry.

Severus let go of his trunk handle and put both hands to his knees. "If I breathe, I will vomit."

"Get yourself together, we need to get through customs so we can make camp." Jiggers started to walk away towards the line in front of the little window near the exit.

"Now we're camping? This deal keeps getting worse and worse." Severus grumbled and pulled his trunk along to follow him.

* * *

Hands on was the term that Jiggers had mentioned before they got to Brazil. Loosely was the word that Severus snorted to himself whenever he was tasked with anything the man could have done himself. This was a vacation to his mentor while Severus did all of the work. Jiggers would point and Severus would fetch like the good little apprentice that he was.

He had gotten bitten by two snakes, one he didn't see and the other while trying to capture it. Thanks to the anti-venom that Jiggers had given him, he needed nothing more than to close the wounds. The massive spider that ended up in his little tent with him the third night there also bit him. Another potion was downed, the swelling stopped and returned his elbow to it's proper size, it still burned badly but Jiggers didn't seem to mind.

"Hurry up, boy!"

"I've got one good arm and I can't bend the other. I'm going as fast as I can." Severus snapped over his shoulder as he collected the small flora around him.

"I've got dinner plans in the city and I cannot be late. We leave in five minutes whether you're done or not." He snapped back and went back to reading whatever book he had in his hands.

Severus took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly. They had been in Brazil for three weeks now, not one week like Jiggers had told him back at the train station. Jiggers didn't tell him why and he wasn't going to ask. If he pushed it, there was a chance they would prolong their trip. When Severus was a child he always hoped and dreamed to go camping one day. Now that he got that experience he never wanted to see another forest, jungle or tree for the rest of his life. This shit is for the birds, as his mentor would often curse when seeing something he disliked.

"Oh thank Merlin, we finally get out of this blasted jungle." Severus sighed and tried to hurry.

"I said I had dinner plans, you are to stay here and shell the seeds we found earlier. I'm just making sure that you get back to camp and get started." Jiggers said in an amused tone.

He grit his teeth and felt his temper rise. He counted backwards from ten five times to keep himself from blowing up. It had been three weeks since a proper shower, he hadn't been able to use his wand since he was still underage and he knew that Juliet would be worried since he hadn't sent her an owl the whole summer.

* * *

When they got back to camp, Severus rushed into his tent and grabbed his journal. He had written a letter to Juliet over the course of the trip, one for every day spent in the Amazon Rainforest, and wanted Jiggers to at least send them for him. When he came out of his tent, Jiggers had already left. Livid was the best word to describe what he was feeling as he kicked one of the dirty cauldrons across the camp that was next to his 'to do' pile.

He missed her, he needed her and didn't know how much longer he was going to last without some sort of contact with her. No matter how much Jiggers had kept him busy, he couldn't get his mind off of her. Was she alright? Having a good summer? Was she upset that he hadn't written her or made the trip to see her? Did she finally say, enough is enough, and found another boy in Diagon to keep her company during the summer? Did Lupin reach out to her? With his dirty paws all over his Angel.

He sat on one of the stumps by the fire and buried his face in his hands. He felt like he was going insane, without knowing how and what she was doing brought despair and fear. His self consciousness beating him down more and more every day, especially at night when he was alone with his thoughts. Jiggers had the magically enhanced safe tent, and Severus had the muggle tent with holes and a sleeping bag that smelt like it had been taken from a homeless man under a bridge.

He buried his fingers in his hair and pulled hard, he needed to get out of this jungle and see her. His chest felt heavy, like his breathing was restricted. He was having another panic attack. He pulled his hands out of his hair and held them out in front of himself. They were shaking and he started to rock himself back and forth.

Why was he so dependent on her? Because you need her, you fool. You love her. Great, now he was talking to himself. He took a few deep breaths and slowly got up to get himself busy. If he was busy then he wasn't able to sit and dwell on anything. He went to bed without dinner that night, dreaming of his sweet angel who was waiting for him back home.

He adapted the habit of gripping the watch around his wrist that she had gifted him. He rubbed his thumb over the engraving every time he read it, it kept him grounded at times he needed it most.

' _A moment can last forever, forever isn't long at all. -J.O.'_

The words were true, every moment he had with her felt like forever. He wanted forever, and he would do anything to make sure that they would have forever. Even if it meant meeting with this Lord Voldemort, who seemed to be granting wishes to his friends left and right.

* * *

Two more weeks had passed since Jiggers went to dinner, once again Jiggers left to another dinner party, leaving Severus to his chores and mental demons. Severus didn't bother to say goodbye or ask him to take the letter for him. Jiggers' stern look was enough to put Severus in his place, lest he wish to scrub cauldrons in the river again.

He decided to call it an early night, not wanting to think of his Angel by the fire and drive himself mad. Instead he hoped to crawl into his poorly crafted bed and dream of Juliet.

Juliet was in his dream, wearing a beautiful white dress and dancing around him in circles. She was smiling and reaching out for him to join her. He pulled her into his arms and bent down to kiss her.

He was in the middle of the sweetest dream when he was startled awake.

Jiggers popped back into camp, screaming for Severus to get up and start packing everything. "Up! Get up! It's time to go!"

Severus nearly choked on his own spit, "Wh-what?"

"You heard me, get up and help me pack. We have to go now!" Jiggers had his wand out and was packing his tent away.

"What happened? What's wrong?" he called over his shoulder as he started to throw his clothes in his trunk.

"Use your wand boy, we don't have time!" his master snapped.

"But I'm underage."

"In Brazil the proper age is sixteen, you've been able to use your wand this whole time. Now help me pack these cauldrons." He ordered and pointed his wand at the stack near the workbench.

"You… you- you lied to me?!" Severus was shocked and pissed. Mostly pissed.

"Part of your training is to avoid depending on your wand. The other part of your training is  _listening_. I won't tell you again boy, pack your shit. Let's go." Jiggers annunciated his words with a tight jaw. He was in no mood to argue when it was obviously time to panic.

Once everything was packed and the fire was put out, he grabbed Severus by the scruff of the neck and apparated them both to Spinners End.

Severus had gotten better at the long distance travel, he kept his balance and tight hold of his trunk. He looked up and saw his home, still run down and depressing as ever. He could hear the sounds of yelling and crashing coming form inside.

"Listen here, Snape. I've been coming as often as I can to check on your mother. I know how your father is, and when I heard and saw what's going on in there… your mother is a proud person, she's a Prince through and through. Family matters need to be handled as such, by family." Jiggers still had his hand tightly on Severus' shoulder.

Severus looked up at his mentor clearly for the first time. He was trying to keep him from home so he didn't have to endure the abuse anymore. He wouldn't put it past his mentor to come visit his mother while his father was at work. Trying to keep her safe while Severus was at school, when he wasn't able to protect her.

"If you need me, you need only ask." He gave Severus a small nod and apparated away with a small pop.

Severus took a deep breath, gripped his trunk handle and walked up the front steps of his home. He braced himself for the storm within.


	53. Chapter 53

**WARNING- This chapter contains abuse.**

**Sev vs. Tobias**

**Sev goes home.**

* * *

Seconds upon walking through the door his father was on him. A new target had been locked onto and Severus was pushed into a corner. He could hear his mother screaming and crying from the drawing room.

"Well look who it is? The little shit finally came back to grace us with his presence." Tobias kept shoving him in the chest, backing him into the corner by the front door.

"I don't know-"

**SLAM**

Tobias' first came into hard contact with his jaw, his head snapping to the right and almost crashing into the small window by the front door. His hair had fallen out of the tie that he had haphazardly threw up in the scramble to pack camp.

"Don't start this same shit that  _whore_  in there tried."

"Don't call my mum a whore!" Severus lunged forward to tackle him but was pushed into another wall.

"I found all of the pictures and articles she tried to hide in the garage. Found your little toy out there too! Got a pretty penny for that piece of junk." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder towards the sounds of his mother sobbing.

"It was mine!" Severus bellowed and swung at his father. His left hook hitting the older man in the jaw, making him stumble a few feet back. Severus' rage built up higher by the second, his only means to see Juliet was gone. All for some coin to drink away.

Severus was tall, especially for his age, but his father was still able to tower over him. Tobias had his hair cut much shorter than Severus but was still long enough to get in his eyes. He caught himself on the doorframe leading into the kitchen, quickly running a hand through his sweaty, greasy hair and looking up in shock at his son.

It didn't last very long, Tobias was on him a few moments later. "You own nothing! You have nothing! YOU ARE  **NOTHING!** "

He swiped his long arm at Severus, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him to the opposite wall. He slammed into it hard, barely putting his arms up in time to protect his face. His father pinning him to the wall with his weight and left arm. In his right hand, he held up the front page of the Prophet on Juliet's birthday.

The picture played in front of him, the black and white image showed Severus getting down on one knee and pulling out the impressive ring. "Where did you get the money to get that ring? Huh? You steal it? You holding out on your family, boy?"

"Leave him alone!" Eileen screeched.

Tobias looked over his shoulder and pointed a finger at her with the crumped newspaper still in his fist, "You knew he suckered himself a little rich girlfriend and said nothing! I read them all! This Unicorn Princess looks like she's loaded, her daddy at least. This little bastard tricked her into loving him, this  _half-blood Prince._ "

He shoved Severus' head against the wall, making his bite his cheek hard and taste copper. "A girlie like this would never love something like you."

Severus growled loudly and tried to push back against Tobias, trying to free himself from being pinned against the wall. "Shut up! I didn't trick her! She loves me!"

He let out a sarcastic laugh, " _Love?_  You think I believe that, boy? I know you, you're just like your mother. With her little potions, slipping them into my drinks, trapping me in a marriage with a child. She poisoned me into loving her!"

Severus stopped struggling, it was so quiet that the only noise that was heard was Eileen sniffling from the other room.

"That's right, she tricked me at a pub one night. Bought me a pint, slipped it in. Then dragged me all over fucking England until she got knocked up with you. But I found out, I found her little jars and pots, then I threw them all out! You're just like your mother, no one could love you and no one will ever love you!"

Severus felt the fire within him burning. "That's. Not. True." He snarled through grit teeth and pushed off the wall as hard as he could. Both of them separated from each other to catch footing, then Severus rushed forward and tackled his father to the ground.

They were hitting each other with everything they had, Severus felt his nose break for the second time that year. His fist had come into contact with his father's ear several times, since he knew how bad that hurt for him, he felt the need to make it a target.

Eileen yelled and begged for them to stop, now standing in the doorway and watching her only family fight each other. "Stop! Please stop!"

Tobias used his height and longer arms to pin Severus on the grimy tiled floor of the entryway. Sitting on his lower back so he couldn't get up and using his left arm to pin him down in the middle of his back. He with his free right hand, he undid his belt and slid it from around his waist.

"You think you can stand up to me? You think you have what it takes to take out your old man? Nah, you're just a little cunt who got in a lucky shot. I'm gonna show you who is the boss around here!" he yelled down at Severus as he wrapped the belt around his hand tightly, leaving the buckled end hanging out by a foot.

"Tobias- no! Stop! He's just a boy, he doesn't know any better!" she begged through her tears and hands covering most of her face. "Take me instead! Give me the punishment- it's my fault he came out with magic!"

He looked up at her and shook a finger at her again, "You're next! Then I'm going to find that little tight girlfriend of his and talk to her and her daddy about compensation for dating my son!"

Compensation? Severus knew that Garrick would never give a knut to his father! He didn't want to see his father try though, it was embarrassing enough being a half-blood. Having his muggle father demand coin of a currency he couldn't even use was ridiculous, but of course Tobias didn't care.

"You leave her alone!" Severus tried to buck his father off of him and roll to the side.

The belt came down hard and fast, hitting him right between the shoulder blades. Severus threw his head back and howled in pain, clenching his eyes shut and arching his back.

"YOU."

The belt came down again, this time hitting his lower back.

"ARE."

Another hit to his rib.

"NOTHING."

This hit opened the skin, tearing right through his shirt and the white fabric tinting with pink then red. His swings were getting harder and faster, though his breathing labored. The belt was cutting skin each time it came down on him. He was screaming in pain, trying to claw himself away from the hard metal buckle and stinging leather. Eileen tried to pull Tobias off of Severus but he backhanded her into the coat rack, making her topple to the floor.

"I said I'd get to you next, whore." He turned his attention back to Severus. "You were in on it too, weren't you? That German bloke with the hair sniffing around my house, around my son and my wife! You lot didn't think I would find out?! And you knew she was fucking him!" Tobias was on a raging rant and didn't let up on his strikes to Severus.

His shirt was bloody and torn, he considered using his wand hundreds of times since he got home but couldn't. The age restriction was 17 in England and he would be damned if he got expelled for kissing his father. Then he wouldn't be allowed to see Juliet anymore. With every swing of his viscous lashes, Severus' blood flung around the room.

Tobias finally got winded enough that he needed to take a break. Knowing his son wasn't going to fight back anymore, he got up and looked down at him. "You're pathetic. If your mother was of decent stock, a well bred woman, you'd have been strong like me."

Severus used his hands and arms to crawl along the tiled floor, trying to put distance between him and his father. Tobias saw something on Severus' wrist as his sleeve went up and was on him again in an instant. He pressed his work boot down on Severus' hand hard, holding it still so he could take it off.

Severus felt the bones and tendons shift and pop in his hand when his foot came down on it. He grit his teeth and tried to pull his hand away but couldn't. He tried to pry his boot off with his other hand but the belt came down on his again and he pulled back.

"What's this? More shit that you're holding out on? I can get a decent amount for this near the pub."

Severus fought his with his free hand and arm, "No! It's mine! She gave it to me! Mine!" He was freaking out, the first gift that he'd ever gotten was being taken away by this son of a bitch!

"I gave you food, shelter, the clothes on your back and you're going to get greedy on me? After everything I have given you?!" He raised his foot up higher than normal and stomped his foot down hard on the watch.

It was still attached to Severus, breaking both the watch and his wrist in the process. He screamed, calling his father every name he could think of. Not caring much for his wrist but the priceless gift that had been destroyed.

The glass cracked, part of the band snapped and the hour hand was stuck in an odd direction. Severus' right hand was frantically trying to pry his father's foot off of his wrist. He cared not for his broken wrist, but the watch Juliet had given him. Could he fix it?

Tobias finally took his foot off if Severus' wrist and went after Eileen. She started to scream and try to back herself further away into a corner. Severus struggled to get up, pulling on the railing at the bottom of the stairwell for support. His body was failing him, unable to support his weight and keep fighting. He feel twice before finally giving up. He could hear his mother and father screaming from the other room.

"Please stop!"

"I told you what would happen if you stepped out of line again!" Tobias backhanded her.

"Severus run!"

"He ain't going anywhere! This is his home, not that school of sinners."

Home? This wasn't home. It was a house, with a roof and four walls but never a home. Home was safe, and he needed to get the fuck out of this house. Severus knew he couldn't apparate, because he didn't have a license and he didn't know how. The motorcycle was gone, so he couldn't even ride to London, and in his condition he wouldn't be able to walk their either.

"Severus, go!"

He didn't even know if Juliet's rune theory would work but he had to try. If he could get runes to apparate him, even if down the block, he could try and get help for his mum. He dipped two fingers on the bloody floor and began to draw the runes. Severus growled in pain and frustration because he never took ancient runes past 5th year.

He had Juliet's rune formula smeared across his blood puddle, be remember that part since he helped her with the project. What it needed was a destination, without one he wasn't going anywhere.

"Come here, boy. I'm not through with you yet! You just got home!" Tobias barked in an amused tone.

Home.

Home.

Home.

Juliet.

Severus knew the rune for home, that was third year material! Even if the damn thing dropped him outside on the front door step, fifteen feet behind him, it might give him enough time to yell for help.

He felt the belt come down on his back again, causing him to scream out in pain. Hot tears were flowing down his cheeks, he threw his hand out and slammed it down on the rune formula and prayed that it would take him somewhere safe.


	54. Chapter 54

****

He was without pain for only a few moments, then he felt the sharp sting hitting his open wounds. It wasn't raining in Cokeworth, last he remembered, although he was much too preoccupied to take in the weather at the time. He hissed in pain and tried to scramble out of the pouring rain. He couldn't stand, he had awkwardly rolled and scooted towards the only cover around.

He balled himself up, hugging his knees to his chest and tucking himself further into the corner of the porch he ended up near. His mind raced, trying to figure out what to do and where he was. Looking around and taking it all in, he realized that he was in the back of the wand shop. It was late, probably around midnight at this point, he didn't know what time it was when he got home, nor how long he was there.

Severus knew that he shouldn't be there, but the runes dropped him on his girlfriend's doorstep. He couldn't let Juliet see him like this; then she would see him as weak and incapable. He couldn't stand to see her face when she found out that his watch was broken, probably beyond repair now that it got wet too. Judging by the fact that Auras hadn't shown up to escort him to Azkaban, he was certain that he hadn't broken any laws by rune apparition. The good news was that Juliet's thesis was correct.

The rain didn't seem like it was going to let up soon. Severus wanted nothing more than to knock on the door and see Juliet, but couldn't find the courage to do it. He started shaking, he'd been without her touch for nearly a month, and the first physical contact since was his father beating him. What if he never felt her again? If she saw him worthless and weak like this, then she wouldn't want anything to do with him.

Severus peaked around the wall, looking at the Apothecary next store to see if Slughorn's nephew was awake. He might be able to get in the back door and sleep in the storage until he could heal himself. What about his mother? He gritted his teeth and rested his head on the brick wall behind him, he needed to go back for her. Severus just needed a moment to try and sort his thoughts and next plan, so he closed his eyes and buried his head in his crossed arms.

* * *

Juliet couldn't sleep, she hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep since she was at school. She hadn't heard from Severus since the Hogwarts express, and she was constantly worried. He had made her promise that she wouldn't send him an owl or try to see him at home. She sent Corvus to try and find him, just to see if he was alright. Technically she wasn't going to Spinner's End, Corvus was, and he wasn't an owl, he was a Raven. It didn't matter, he never found Severus.

After fighting a fitful night's sleep, she decided to get up and get the day over with. The Hogwarts supply letters went out earlier that week, and Diagon Alley was going to be busy that weekend. Juliet looked over at the clock on the wall and sighed before throwing the covers off and getting out of bed. She got ready for the day and started to work on her chores. This was the summer that she would be taking on more responsibility around the shop and she wanted to show her Papa that she could handle it.

She went upstairs to the main floor kitchen and got started the coffee and tea. Then she made her way to the pantry to get what she needed to start breakfast, but she saw the garbage bin nearly overflowing with trash. She sighed heavily, rolled her eyes and picked it up before heading to the back door. Even though she was up early to get started, didn't mean that Robbie or Garrick was as well. She tried to be as quiet as she could as she unlocked the back door and slipped out to throw out the trash.

She could hear the rain through the door, so she grabbed the umbrella that was next to the coat rack and stepped outside. She took in the smell of the rain for a second before stepping down into the alley. The clouds were blocking most of the sunrise, but she was still able to make her way to the dumpster easily. Thunder boomed above her as she threw the trash out, causing her to jump.

Juliet liked the rain, but she never liked the thunder. It was too loud and unexpecting for her, so she turned to head back inside but saw a dark puddle at the bottom of the steps she has just come down. As she got closer, she saw that it was more of a red color, like blood. She followed its trail to the source, coming from up the steps and by the dark corner of the back porch.

Juliet gripped her umbrella tightly as she tried to think of what to do. She had left her wand inside on her nightstand, and the only way back inside was right past whatever curled up and died on the steps. It was too big to be a cat, maybe it was a dog? She hoped it didn't belong to anyone, she didn't want to be the one to tell them that their beloved pet was found at their back door dead.

"Rrrrmmmm…" the animal in the corner shifted a bit.

If Juliet had a voice, she would have let out a high-pitched scream of terror. It wasn't dead, it was very much alive and probably hungry. She cursed mentally and tried to gather the courage to run past it and back inside to safety.

* * *

Severus didn't intend to pass out from blood loss and exhaustion on his girlfriend's back porch. He had been startled awake by the thunder overhead, making him flinch and groan in pain. He didn't know how long he had been out, but he needed to close the wounds on his back before he went back to Spinner's End for his mother. He decided that his original plan of going to the Apothecary was his best shot. If they didn't have any dittany and blood replenisher in stock, then he would at least be able to brew it himself.

He was shaking, from the pain and rain that brought the cold chill to his already aching bones. His back muscles were spasming uncontrollably, causing more pain and shaking. Severus craved her soft touch more than anything right now, wishing that he could be in her arms right now.

He counted to three, trying to gather the last bit of strength and energy he had. He unfolded his arms from around his knees and extended his legs out, trying to stretch the stiffness out of them. His head shot up when he heard the all too familiar gasp.

"Angel…" his throat was dry from screaming in agony. His voice came out in a rasp that she barely made out.

The umbrella fell to her feet and rolled off the porch, she dropped to her knees beside him and put her hands out hesitantly. She wanted to go to him but didn't know if he would let her. "Demon." She breathed in greeting.

When Severus saw her hands pull back from touching him, he wanted to cry. The emptiness in his chest felt like it was growing larger, consuming him and making it harder to breathe. "Please... please don't go." He begged.

'I'm not going anywhere. What happened? What do I do? Tell me what you need.' Juliet's hands were moving so fast she jumbled some of her words, but Severus knew what she meant. 'Let me go get help. I can get Papa. Or I can take you to Saint Mungo's- '

Severus tried to move closer to her, "Please, just touch me. I'll do anything… please just touch me."

Juliet was confused, but she did as he asked. She sat on her knees in front of him, reaching her right hand out to cup his cheek. He finally lifted his head high enough to look at her, giving her full view of his black eyes, broken nose and cut face. She could see it in his eyes, he was defeated.

She cupped his cheek carefully, trying not to hurt or scare him away. He sobbed when her hand touched his skin, it was a simple action, but he had never felt anything so comforting in his life. She caught the tea that escaped from his bloodshot eyes, rubbing it away and taking the opportunity to move closer to him.

Once both of her hands were on him, he let his weight fall into her, making her open her arms to receive him and so he could bury his face in her stomach. She held him tightly as he cried, rubbing her fingers through his lank, dirty hair and rocking them from side to side.

When her hand met his cuts, he hissed and jumped at her touch. She pulled her hand back to see the blood on it, she leaned forward and pulled his outer cloak back. She could see nothing but blood all over his back.

'We need to get you inside. Now.' She signed to him suddenly.

* * *

With maximum effort and struggle, Juliet was finally able to get him inside the wand shop. Shushing him the whole time as they tried to sneak down the stairs to the bathroom. If she could get him into her bathroom, she could sit him down and clean his wounds and close them as best she could. With him being unresponsive to her questioning, she thought it best to fix him until the shock wore off. To say she was scared was an understatement, but she held herself together as best she could while she helped him. Severus needed her to be the strong one right now, and he needed her more than ever.

Severus was getting water and blood all over the floor and rug that lead down the hall. She whistled softly for Robbie as they passed his room. The small elf popped his head out of his room and looked around with a sleeping look on his face. When he saw Severus being practically carried by Juliet, his eyes went wide, and his jaw dropped.

Juliet put a finger up to her lips to quiet him. Robbie had a voice, he could speak if he so chose but preferred sign language because he wanted to be like his big sister Juliet. Even though he was only a year old, in elf years that made him eight years old.

'I need you to clean up everything from the back door to the bathroom! Papa can't know about the mess!' she signed quickly as she paused to explain things.

Robbie nodded his head quickly, making his ears fall forward over his eyes. He turned around and started to work his magic on the blood stains coming down the stairs. Juliet finally kicked the bathroom door shut behind them and sat Severus on the edge of the tub.

He groaned in pain and kept his eyes shut tightly when she turned on the bright bathroom light. "Don't… leave…"

She tried to console him as she ran around the bathroom, trying to find the medical kit that might be in another bathroom. After grabbing towels and finding the medical kit, she got into the tub behind Severus. He faced the bathroom door with his legs outside the tub, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees for support as she stood in the tub that way she would wash most of the blood down the drain.

She carefully peeled his clothes off him from the waist up, hissing with him when she had to rip some of the stuck cloth off his skin. When she finally got a full view of the wounds covering his back, it was her turn to cry. Her hands covered her mouth and nose, frozen in shock as she saw the bloody Criss Cross lines starting at the back of his neck and ending right above his jeans. There were bruises and smaller cuts on his ribs and sides, she couldn't wrap her head around who or why anyone would do this to Severus.

He started to shake and wrap his arms around himself, trying to curl away from her, but she refused to let him move away. She put her hands on his shoulders and leaned into his ear, careful not to touch his cuts on his back.

"Shh… I'm here. I love you, Severus. I love you." She whispered softly.

Severus relaxed slightly and leaned into her, "Say it again."

"I love you." She kept repeating until he calmed down enough for her to start healing him.

She kept one hand on his shoulder to steady him as she dabbed the cuts one at a time with dittany. He didn't scream, but he did grit his teeth and growl a few times. After each cut was closed, she wiped it with a clean towel and gently kissed the fresh scar. It helped him relax and get through it, forgetting that their sounds were not muffled beyond the bathroom door.


	55. Chapter 55

**So i started a new story, it's called Soldier of Fortune and it's a marvel fic. well... marvel/xmen crossover. yeah i know they are both one in the same but for fic writing they made you put it as a crossover since the marvel universe is so large. anyway, im ranting. sorry. its a ulysses klaw/oc fic. check it out if thats your kind of thing.**

**thanks for the reviews as always, you guys are amazing**

**this chapter is garrick vs tobias, surprise vow**

**next chapter is the aftermath. no... not dr. dre aftermath. but that is an amazing album. and a montage of scenes that sum up the summer for sev and juliet.**

* * *

The bathroom door flew open with a huge bang. Seeing Garrick standing in a white shirt that wasn't properly buttoned or tucked into his slacks. The wand maker had been woken up to strange noises and a messy hallway. He followed the sounds of moaning and clatter to find his little Juliet in a locked bathroom with a half naked Severus.

Garrick said no words, made no threats or ask for an explanation. He started to raise his wand while giving Severus a murderous look. Juliet jumped out of the tub and stepped between them with her hands up.

'WAIT! IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!' she mouthed as she signed quickly.

Garrick paid her no mind, his eyes were locked to the shirtless boy behind her. "CRU-"

Severus knew he was going to die tonight, but he refused to let Juliet get hurt. This old man was using unforgivable! Garrick obviously had no problem with going to Azkaban.

Severus quickly grabbed Juliet and brought her to his chest. Spinning her around, tucking her in tightly and putting his back to Garrick in hope of blocking most of the curse with his body.

The unforgivable fell short from his lips upon the sight of Severus' slashed and bloodied back. His arms fell to his side and his mouth opened in horror.

"What happened, boy?" Garrick asked softly.

Severus just shook his head and kept his face buried in Juliet's hair. He sniffed a few times, trying to hide the pain, fear and signs of weakness. Juliet moved then two steps to the side, giving her sight of Garrick.

'He showed up like this. Help him, Papa.' She signed with one free hand.

Garrick knew what happened but he had to be absolutely sure before he made his next move. "Look at me, Boy."

Severus raised his head, looking at Garrick sadly through his curtained hair. Garrick was a master of Legilimens and didn't need to ask him again. He saw everything that happened when he walked through the front door of Spinner's End.

When he pulled out of his mind, Garrick was angry that his fists were shaking. "She is still there?"

Severus lowered his head, he couldn't say it out loud that he left his mother to die just to save himself.

"Robbie." Garrick called out as he turned to the hallway. "Get all the medical supplies you can find and put them in the living room. Prepare Garrus' room for guests and get a meal ready. The soup and bread from dinner will be fine."

Robbie squeaked out a yes and popped back out to get started. Garrick turned to Juliet and Severus as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.

"Keep patching him up. Do it quickly. He will need blood replenishing and a calming drought with his soup. Don't give him the pain potion unless he cant sleep. Send Corvus to Healer Hector Mathews at Saint Mungo's, tell him we need him immediately. He owes me a favor." He ordered in a calm voice. Juliet nodded and started to move Severus back to the tub. Garrick looked at Severus one last time and apparated out of his home and to Spinner's End.

* * *

Garrick could hear the screams from the street. He hadn't bothered trying to apparate to a discreet area in this muggle neighborhood. If he was going to prison for murder, then misuse of magic in front of a muggle was nothing. He had his wand gripped firmly in his right hand.

Either Garrick kicked the door down too hard or the door was a lot lighter than he expected, because it came right off it's hinges. Tobias froze when he heard the noise, pausing his fist from colliding with Eileen's head. His head shot up and saw an older looking man who was drenched from the rain with his teeth bare.

" **Let her go.** "

Tobias stood up straight but didn't let go of Eileen, she cried and pulled against his fist full of her hair. "Who the fuck is this? 'Nother one of your boyfriends you fuck?"

Eileen's eyes went wide when she saw Lord Garrick of Noble House Ollivander watching her get taught a lesson by her husband. She was showing him below standard etiquette for pureblood. "Lord Ollivander!"

Tobias let go of her hair and brought the back of his hand across her cheek hard, sending her behind him across the floor. " _Lord?!_  You sick bitch!"

Garrick flicked his wand and sent Tobias flying with a loud bang, "You do not hit a Lady!" He looked over to Eileen and held his hand out towards her, "Come now, Lady Prince. Your son is waiting for you."

Tobias scrambled to his feet and moved to stand in front of her, "She's mine. She isn't going anywhere."

Eileen curled up under the small entry table that hadn't been broken. Shattered pieces of the lamp were all around her. "I will stay, sir."

Garrick took a deep breath and looked past Tobias. The situation in the home was a lot worse than he ever thought. This wasn't a sudden drunken attack on a bad night for the Snape's, this was a common occurrence, perhaps even a daily one. This poor woman has known nothing of freedom since her childhood, this life is all she knows.

"Severus needs you, Eileen. A boy needs his mother, I know that for a fact. My son Garrus is gone because I wasn't strong enough when his mother died." Garrick held his hand out towards her again.

"You ain't shit without that little stick of yours. Fight me like a man!" Tobias roared and took a boxing stance.

"Please stop it! Stop!" Eileen screamed while hugging her legs to her chest and rocking back and forth.

He tucked his wand into the ankle of his right boot, he didn't need a wand to kill this muggle. He was going to enjoy doing this with his bare hands. Garrick stood back up and took a similar fighting stance and beckoned Tobias with his hand.

Tobias lunged forward and tackled Garrick to the ground. Both men struggling for dominance as they rolled around through the broken glass and debris. Tobias wasn't just an abuser, he was a fighter; having been through many bar fights and fighting his own father once upon a time. He brought his arms up to break Garrick's hold on him, and brought his head forward to slam into Garrick's.

He stumbled back and wiped his split lip on the back of his arm, "Eileen, go outside and wait for me."

She stood up and tried to move towards the door but Tobias threw the house telephone at her, missing her and smashing against the wall by her head. "You're not going anywhere, whore! You're mine!"

He didn't hold his hand out caringly like Garrick did, instead he pointed to the ground before him. As if expecting her to kneel at his feet for servitude. "Come here. Now."

Garrick called out to her, "Severus needs you. Don't you want to be there for his wedding? Don't you want to see your grandchildren? Because if you stay here, I will not let those babies anywhere near this house and neither will Severus. Your family needs you, Eileen. We're family now. House Ollivander extends protection and full support of House Prince."

Everyone paused as Garrick's wand hand glowed a brilliant blue color, then faded into a bright white light and disappeared. He had made a verbal vow to protect House Prince and showed Eileen how serious he was. He may have been laying it out pretty thick but he would do anything to save this woman from this monster.

She had her hands covering her mouth, sniffling loudly and her eyes were puffy red and swollen. She looked to Tobias and back to Garrick, slowly nodding her head and stepping towards him and the front door. "For Severus."

Tobias lunged for her, but Garrick was already on him before he reached her. Slamming his fist into his jaw and bringing his arm around his neck. Tobias rolled over and slammed Garrick hard into the ground and breaking free. Garrick pushed him hard into the wall, following with a series of blows to the temple. Tobias' nose and brow were bleeding and his right eye was swollen shut. He brought his knee up to Garrick's stomach and made him double over.

"You come in here, talking about taking my family- you will never have them!" Tobias screamed at Garrick.

He snarled and threw his shoulder into Tobias' gut, then grappled with him to the ground. He sat on Tobias' chest while he used both fists on Tobias' face. Each punch emphasizing his words of promise.

" **YOU. WILL. NOT. HURT. THEM. AGAIN.** "

Tobias stopped trying to fight back, he even stopped moving altogether. Garrick had knocked him out a few punches ago but it didn't stop him from swing down hard once more. He slowly got up, wincing as he knee cut on the glass under him. His white shirt was now covered in blood that was mostly Tobias' and his lip was still bleeding. His knuckles were bruised red and purple, fortunately they weren't split or he would need Dittany.

Garrick grabbed one of the cloaks on the fallen coat rack, not caring for size or color and wrapped it around Eileen. "Come Eileen, let's go home."


	56. Chapter 56

**lovely reviews brought my muse back. yay a reasonably timed update. 3**

**thanks to faded galaxia for putting up with my random scenes i think of and being there to catch them all**

**this chapter is altered timeline, garrick has words with tobias, severus makes a decision**

**next chapter is albus comes for juliet, sev and eileen make plans.**

**reviews bring faster chapters... heh**

* * *

Juliet and Robbie had Severus sitting on the couch in the living room with a warm bowl of soup being spoon fed to him. She was sitting next to him, practically in his lap and holding the spoon out for him to eat. Severus still refused to say anything other than "stay" and "please." Most of the cuts on his back had been cleaned and closed, then she rubbed the Carpe Diem cream on his back to help with the pain.

Robbie has gone to get some of her real fathers clothes, knowing they would fit better than Garrick's. Severus thought this must be awkward for everyone now that he was wearing the dead son's clothing. Healer Hector Mathews finally arrived through the floor and he wasn't wearing the St. Mungo's robes like they usually saw him in. He was wearing a pair of slacks, a long thermal shirt and a robe tied loosely around him.

Before he could greet anyone or ask to see the wounded, Garrick apparated in the living room, just by the doorway to the dining room. He was holding Eileen bridal style, close to his chest and nodded for the healer to come to him. Juliet turned around to greet Garrick but when she saw Eileen she immediately clutched her head and hissed in pain.

It was happening again, the timeline had changed and now her memories were altering for the new time line. Eileen Prince was not supposed to be alive right now.

"Juliet!" Severus called to her and practically shoved the half eaten bowl of soup in Robbie's chest.

She couldn't open her eyes, the sharp pain behind her eyes wasn't letting her. She could barely hear Severus but reached a hand out for him. Hector rushed forward and waved his wand at her head a few times.

Garrick set Eileen down on his favorite chair by the fire and rushed to Juliet. "Move Hector! Little one…. Is it the… the time?" he knelt in front of her on the rug by the fire.

She tried to open her eyes, stretching her face and then it contorting in pain seconds later. She could only nod slightly and leaned into Garrick's shoulder.

"Tell me what it is? The boy or his mother? Hurry- before he comes for you." Garrick hissed urgently, he was talking about Albus. He knew that vulture would be coming around soon, especially if it was written that Eileen Prince was to die tonight.

Juliet pointed at Eileen then went back to clutching her head and gasping for breath. Garrick grit his teeth and growled under his breath, "Of course the bastard wouldn't try and save her. Even though he knew."

"What's going on? Hector asked first.

Garrick waved him off "Go heal Lady Prince. She has sustained multiple hits to the head and body. Then check the boy over."

Severus pulled Juliet into his side when she her symptoms started to settle down. He was completely lost in what just happened but couldn't form the words to ask all the questions rumbling around his head. He felt someone touch his left shoulder, he looked over to see his mother talking to him. He tilted his head so he could hear her with his good right ear.

"You're safe. I had feared…" Eileen broke down in sobs as Hector waved his wand around her then started digging into his bag.

Severus reached his left hand out to her and held her hand tightly. Then he looked up to Garrick and nodded his head silently thanking him for saving his mother. They spent the rest of the morning getting healed by Hector, then were put to bed in Garrus' room, according to everyone else but Juliet, it was her deceased brother's room.

Juliet settled Severus and Eileen in the large king size bed. Eileen laid on one side with her back to the rest of the room. Severus took the side closest to the door and pulled Juliet into the bed with them. He didn't want to be away from her and his mother needed him. He could give a damn what Garrick thought of it. They could hear Eileen sniffling from her side of the bed. Severus reached over and put his hand on her shoulder, pulling her to him.

The three of them slept holding each other the whole day with Robbie watching over them. Hector left him with very specific instructions and medicines for all three of them. He told Garrick that he would let Jiggers know to prepare another batch for them, he only had enough on hand for the next two days.

"Thank you, Hector. I'm afraid I must ask for your discretion. About the things that you have witnessed tonight." Garrick said as he shook his hand.

Hector put his hand on his shoulder and nodded, "You have nothing to worry about, Garrick. Just promise me that you won't let her or the boy go back to that man."

"House Prince is under vowed protection of House Ollivander. That will never happen." Garrick stood up straight and tightened his grip on his friend's hand.

* * *

Garrick had gone with Robbie back to Spinner's End when everyone had finally gone back to bed. He planned to get any and all of their belongings out of that house. He didn't want to give Eileen or her son a reason to come back to this hell. He never called in sick and the wand shop was meticulous about it's operating hours, but he didn't care. They needed him and he didn't need the money, he was the only wand maker in England. Customers could wait for all he cared.

When they got there the door was still broken down, so much for muggle authorities and their fantastic response time. In this neighborhood, Garrick wouldn't be surprised if no one reported it. Tobias was sitting by the fire in the living room, holding a bottle of rum in one hand and an ice pack to his eyes with the other. He heard Garrick but made no threats or movements towards him.

"You know why I'm here." Garrick said from the doorway after he waved for Robbie to quickly search the house.

Tobias slumped forward in his chair and waved a hand at Garrick in dismissal, "Just take it and leave."

That wasn't good enough for Garrick, he wanted to break the man's face in even more. He had seen the history of his abuse in Eileen's eyes and it fueled his rage. He waved his hand lazily towards the mess in the foyer and everything fixed itself and went back to where it was supposed to be.

Robbie came back with a few trunks that he extended to fit the few things he assumed were Eileen's and Severus'. He had taken all the pictures of them as well, but didn't know what to do with the one of all three of them. He held out the dirty gold framed picture to Garrick.

It was a black and white still photo of Eileen and Tobias. She was holding a very young Severus in her lap and they were all smiling. This had to have been before Tobias tripped and fell into a bottle of liquor. "Thank you Robbie, that will be all."

When Robbie left with all their things, Garrick walked over to Tobias who still didn't move. He set the framed picture facing him on the coffee table that had been repaired more than once. "I want you to look at this picture and see the faces of those you let down."

Tobias looked from the photo to Garrick and tilted his head back, he was defeated but not without anger. "Is that all?"

"No. I want you to sit here in silence. I want the silence to eat away at you, knowing that you are going to die alone in this home. You will never see your wife or son again. I want you to sit here and look at everything you lost."

* * *

Eileen couldn't remember if and when she had a good night's sleep like she just did. Let alone on a bed that wasn't squeaky, lumpy or broken. She may have been well rested but she was completely lost and the only thing keeping her from falling apart again was knowing that her son was right next to her.

When they finally woke up around dinner time, they got dressed in the clothes that Garrick and Robbie brought for them. Eileen had never seen her clothes that clean before and was very embarrassed that they had seen the state of her old home like that. They all met at the dinner table, awkwardly taking their seats around Garrick who was waiting for them.

"I hope you all had a good rest. How are you feeling?" Garrick asked Eileen as she sat on his left.

"Very well rested, thank you Lord Ollivander." She said timidly while keeping her head down.

"Please… call me Garrick." He smiled and poured her a cup of tea.

"Thank you… Garrick. Please call me Eileen." She bowed her head. "Thank you… for… for…"

Severus reached his hand out and squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you for helping us, Sir. You saved our lives… we owe you-"

Garrick set the teapot down hard, making Eileen jump. "You owe me nothing, boy. Neither of you do. House Prince is now under protection of House Ollivander. After all… we are to be family soon." He nodded towards Juliet and lifted his teacup to toast.

The food started to float in from the kitchen in front of Robbie. It was a large spread of different pasta's and sides that Juliet helped prepare while Severus and Eileen were waking up and getting dressed. The dishes were passed around and Eileen blushed when Garrick placed double the size she served herself on her own plate. He was seeing to it that she ate well now that she was in his care.

"I can find work. I  _will_ find work to cover our selves." Eileen said suddenly. She may have come from a broken marriage but she also came from a proud line of Purebloods who raised her to earn her own way.

"I'll talk to Master Jiggers. Maybe I can finally get rid of Slughorn's incompetent nephew." Severus said with a small smirk, he was trying to lighten the mood.

"Which brings up another topic…" Garrick cleared his throat. "You can stay here for the time being. Until you can find your own place."

Juliet was about to protest that they should be able to stay forever, but Garrick held his hand up to silence her.

"It's not that you are not welcome here. Nothing could be further from the truth! Our children are promised to each other, to be wed when they come of age. You know that it isn't proper for them to live together before they are of age. Or that the Houses join before then. I've already broken one tradition but I cannot break another. I could give a damn about what the rest of the world thinks of me- but I will not have them do so in regards to my daughter or your son."

Severus was surprised to hear Garrick speak so highly of him. He was thinking of the bigger picture and looking our for their well being. His mind came to a screeching halt- this was what a Head of House did! This time next year he was going to be married to the Juliet and had nothing to show for it. He was going to be Head of House Prince and needed to start acting like it.

These past two years he only thought as far ahead as, getting the girl and marrying her. What then? Happily ever after? Nothing was ever so easy for any of them. He looked up to Garrick with new found admiration. He needed to be like Garrick and not a hot tempered shit head like his father.

Severus looked over at Juliet and squeezed her hand under the table. She smiled at him and pressed her leg to his. This was what he wanted, marry Juliet and make her happy. He needed to speak to Lucius about setting up a meeting with Lord Voldemort.


	57. Chapter 57

**There has been so much going on lately. Soooooo I'm getting transferred from az to Texas in about 2ish weeks. This is a good thing. Hella stressful tho. I'm starting to pack and shit so please be patient with the updates.**

**If you follow me you know that I have been updating Soldier of Fortune religiously. Dont get jealous lol. The flow just takes off for a new fic. Like the beginning of a relationship in the honeymoon period lol.**

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**Thanks for the reviews and thanks again to faded galaxia for helping come to terms with "iit's time**

**This chapter severus finds out**

**Next chapter aftermath and planning**

* * *

It was Garrick who ended up speaking to Master Jiggers on behalf of House Prince. Both men had a long talk over morning whiskey, given the topics they were discussing it was the best choice of drink. Garrick thanked him for trying to keep Severus out of the house and away from Tobias. Jiggers nearly broke down crying that he should have stepped in and done something about it sooner. He told Garrick how he'd always known since the boy was small. That he always kept an eye on Eileen Snape nee Prince but never had the courage that Garrick did to step in.

Garrick explained that he has a chance to help now, that he shouldn't blame himself for the things that bastard did to them. Jiggers immediately fired the current shop clerk and gave the position with better pay to Eileen. With Slughorn's nephew moving out of the flat above the shop, Eileen and Severus were able to move in the day after.

Jiggers apologized for the state that the flat was in, Slughorn's nephew liked to live in filth apparently. He wanted to take a week to go through and clean it and have a professional come in and remodel certain things. Anything to make Eileen feel safe and welcome, but she refused saying the cleaning that Robbie helped with was good enough for them.

Jiggers had set her at a weekly pay with a week's in advance so she could settle in. She accepted the week's advance but refused to take the apartment rent free like he wanted. She was a Prince, and they believed in making their own way. Now that she was back in the wizarding world, for good as she would add, she needed to prove herself amongst the Magical community.

Severus still had nearly eighty thousand galleons saved up from working the last two years and the lawsuit money from House Lupin and Black. He told his mother dozens of times that he could pay for everything they needed in the meantime, that he could put the money towards a nicer apartment for them but she refused.

She told Severus that the money was his and she wouldn't let him spend it on anything unless it was for his future bride. Eileen sat him down and explained to him the importance of saving money when he could and used his father as a prime example of what not to do. It wasn't anything that he didn't already know, but it felt good being able to talk to his mother about things like this. Talking in a room at a higher volume than a whisper was something new as well.

Robbie was wise enough to bring most of the things in the kitchen from their old home and Severus' bed. Garrick worked his skills at transfiguring it and duplicating it, so there were two comfortable beds. It tore at his heart seeing a bed that was broken and much too small for Severus.

Jiggers worked out Severus' new work assignments now that he didn't have the motorcycle to transport the supplies. To make up for the rising cost of going back to owl delivery, he assigned Severus as the on-site potioneer for the shop. He would handle stocking the shelves in the store while Jiggers primarily handled the owl orders and hospital contracts.

Juliet enjoyed making dinner for a large group of people every night. It was their routine after everyone was finished with work they would clean up and all meet at the Ollivander house for a meal. Eileen was learning recipes from Juliet and sometimes helped her with cooking while Severus and Garrick would play a game of chess in the living room.

* * *

Things were running smoothly, and everyone was happier than they had ever been. Until Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the fireplace with a pissed off look on his face.

"Where is she?" he demanded without bothering to shake the ash off his robes.

Severus jumped to his feet to greet his Headmaster, Garrick drew his wand and aimed it at Albus.

"You dare show up at my home unannounced and bypass my wards?!" Garrick moved in front of Albus, blocking his way to the kitchen.

Juliet and Eileen came through the kitchen door to see what the noise was about and finding Albus and Garrick locked in duel stances. 'What's going on?' Juliet signed after she whistled loudly to get everyone's attention.

"You! Miss Ollivander- do you have any idea what you've done?" Albus turned to her. He saw Eileen and Severus finally when they both moved towards Juliet. "I need to speak with Miss Ollivander alone."

"Like hell, you will!" Garrick and Severus announced in unison.

"You were supposed to come to me. You weren't supposed to alter anything!" Albus ranted and started pacing back and forth.

'Yes- let's talk about this right now! Tell Lady Prince how she was supposed to die by her husband's hands around her throat. How you knew about her supposed timely death and did nothing to stop it!' Juliet signed angrily and pointed her finger at him.

The room was quiet, only the noise of the crackling fire could be heard. All eyes were on Albus, with shocked looks on their faces- except Garrick. He had a smug look on his face knowing justice was being served.

"You knew?" Severus was the first to answer. The grip on his wand was tight, his knuckles were turning white.

"This isn't the time. There is confidential material that Miss Ollivander and I need to discuss." Albus said with his head held high.

"Oh no you don't, you twat. Tell them or I will." Garrick called him out.

"Tell us what?" Severus looked to Juliet with a hurt look on his face.

'I'm from the future.'

Severus' blank look almost made her laugh, but she didn't dare. "Wut?" his Cokeworth accent coming out unintentionally.

" _Miss Ollivander._ " Albus hissed. "I implore you to think about your next words."

Garrick's fists clenched and the furniture around him started to rattle and shake against his pulsing magic. "Choose  _your_  words carefully, Dumbledore. One would think you were threatening my granddaughter."

"Granddaughter? You can't be serious." Severus' head went back and forth from Juliet to the two men by the fire.

"She isn't lying. This meddling arsehole sent her to the past because he wasn't happy with the outcome of the war. He was too focused on keeping himself alive- no matter who died or got in the way." Garrick was happy to let it all out in the open and put Albus on trial.

"You've ruined everything!" Albus yelled at Garrick.

"No- you ruined it all! You can't play God, Albus." Garrick shot back.

'Even if he played God, it would be a shitty one. He was willing to let her die that night.' Juliet added.

Eileen has been timidly standing behind Juliet but she finally spoke, making everyone turn to her. "Why?" She stepped forward and put her hands to her sides. "Why were you going to let me die?"

Albus couldn't look at her, let alone answer her. So Juliet did it for him, 'Because he needed to make Severus as isolated as possible. He needed to break down Severus so much that he would have nothing and no one but Albus to depend on.'

Severus' brows shot up and he looked to Albus, "Why me?"

Again, Juliet answered for him. 'Because you were the reason that we won the war. You are his proverbial queen, his spy, his ace up the sleeve. YOU ARE HIS TO CONTROL.'

Severus stepped back in disbelief, "War? I don't want to be in a war." He couldn't wrap his head being a soldier, let alone that his fiancé was from the future.

"If you go down the path Albus intends for you- then you will be right in the heart of it. Tell him Albus, he's the one you send to do your dirty deeds." Garrick said with a curled lip. "If you think you can obliviate them you've thought wrong. House Prince is under protection from House Ollivander-  _you can't touch them._ "

Albus' eyes shot up to Garrick's. "You planned this all along then? Overthrow me?"

"Overthr- no one wants your pity throne, you jackass! You need to leave the timeline alone- go fuck up your own life." Garrick cursed, no long caring that there were ladies present. Although he hadn't thought about it the whole time Albus was there.

"You lied to me." Severus said quietly to Juliet. "All those meetings with the Headmaster, you knew me- I mean know me from before- or the past." He ran a hand through his hair.

'I didn't know you. Not personally. You were already dead when I came to England. Your portrait was hung in the headmasters office. Your death is my boggart.' Juliet admitted.

"The portrait in class… the boggart… that was me? I die? When?" Severus had more questions that he could spit out.

'You were thirty eight.'

"But your brother- do you even have a brother?" Severus knew the answer but needed to get it from her.

She shook her head sadly. 'I am an only child of Garrus Ollivander who is currently in school in Rome. I haven't been born yet. He is Garrick's only son.'

Severus backed away from everyone until the back of his knees hit the armchair behind him. He sat down slowly and put his head in his hands, dropping his wand between his feet. He was going to be sick. Juliet went to him and knelt by his feet.

'In my timeline you were a hero… a hero that went through so much pain and loneliness. I met your painting that day I came to this time. I reached out to you and you reached back. When I found you in the alley that day… I knew it was you. I have been doing everything in my power to keep you from harm. But him-' Juliet pointed at Albus, 'he wants to use you for the war with Voldemort.'

She reached her hands out and cupped his face, "I love you. I have always loved you. No matter what they will make you do." She breathed her words slowly.

"If there was a chance of you two being together after tonight, it's long gone." Albus said hotly.

Severus jumped to his feet, nearly knocking Juliet over, "Fuck off! He can't do that. Tell him he can't do that." Severus pleaded with Garrick.

"He can't and he won't." Garrick said firmly.

"I need a vow of silence-"

"You need to shut the hell up and leave. They've been through enough." Garrick ordered and advanced on Albus with his wand.

Albus sneered at him but took his leave back through the fire after saying "This discussion isn't over."


	58. Chapter 58

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**this chapter is memories and Severus panics.**

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* * *

The room was quiet, except for Severus' heavy breathing. He was hyperventilating and working himself up into another raging fit. The furniture shook, and his clenched fists ignited brightly, almost catching the couch he was standing by on fire. Juliet reached for his hand and pulled it away, consuming the flames to avoid causing any damages.

Eileen covered her mouth with her hands after screaming for Severus to stop. "Severus! This isn't how you were raised to behave!"

Garrick put his arm around Eileen's shoulder, "It's alright, Eileen. He's just found out that all Dumbledore's are arseholes. Trust me, and it's a lot to take in. Let's give them some space to talk, and I'll get you a strong cup of tea."

Garrick started to lead her towards the kitchen and stopped to look at Juliet, "My office is probably the best place for this conversation. You know the password for the pensieve, little one."

She nodded and waited for him to take Madam Prince out of the room before wrapping her arms around Severus' neck. 'Look at me.' She mouthed and stood on her toes.

His black eyes searched hers, trying to find the answers for the millions of questions that he had.

'You are here. You are alive and you are with me.' Juliet mouthed to him, she knew he could understand her because his flames dampened to nothing after a few more moments.

With his forehead pressed to hers and his hands gripping her waist firmly, she waited for his breath to even out before taking him into Garrick's office. The last thing anyone needed was his precious memoirs to catch fire. She pulled him by his hand down the hall and closed the large doors behind them.

There was a large white cabinet on the wall opposite of the little bar by the window. There wasn't a lock on it but there were obviously heavy wards on it. Juliet pulled Severus to stand next to her, standing on her toes again and whispering in his ear.

"Garrick rules and Albus drools?" Severus repeated what he thought she whispered.

The wards dropped and the cabinet doors slowly opened and the pensieve floated forward. Juliet stepped forward, standing next to the pensieve and turned to face him. She pulled out her wand and held it to her temple and closed her eyes. Severus had heard of pensieves but have never seen one in person. Someone of his class and blood status would never have enough coin for one. He watched the long silver strand pull like a thread from her temple and hover before her briefly before sinking into the glass like liquid in the bowl.

She put her wand away and put her hands up to sign, 'Come with me to see the future.' She held her hand out to him.

"The future? The one where… I'm dead. The one…. Where we aren't together…." He swallowed the hard ball at the back of his throat and took her hand. Juliet held onto his hand tightly as she guided both of them to dip their heads into her memories.

* * *

Severus felt like he was falling and floating at the same time. Juliet kept her eyes on him and didn't seem to feel nauseous as he did. Everything stopped swirling finally and they were standing in the middle of a dining room. A younger Juliet was sitting at the table with a very young looking Garrick. It had to be her father Garrus. Sounds were coming from the kitchen behind a door, it had to be her mother Aurelia.

'Papa, when are we going to see Papa Garrick again? It's been years!' she signed while still holding her fork. She had to be seven at this time. Her hair was in braided pigtails with little blue and white bows.

"Juliet, you know that you shouldn't sign with your hands full." Her father chuckled.

She dropped her fork on the plate with a loud clunk, 'Sorry!'

He sighed and smiled down at her lovingly, "Papa Garrick said it still isn't safe to go back to England. There's a war going on right now."

'What's a war?' she signed innocently.

"Garrus- you better not tell her a war is passive aggressively fighting with Corvus over the biscuits!" a female voice yelled from the kitchen.

Garrus leaned in to Juliet and whispered, "What she didn't tell you is that I'm winning." Making Juliet breath heavily in laughter.

* * *

Everything swirled again but this time it was the same house but a different time. It was night time and Juliet was crouching by a partially open door that led into the study. The real Juliet and Severus passed through the door without issue, Garrick and her father were drinking by the fire. Both standing and staring into the flame.

"He's back. I just know it. Ever since Potter returned to the wizarding world things haven't been the same. I don't like it." Garrick said to his son. He was much older and his hair was already all grey.

"I've told you a hundred times, Pa. Close the shop and move down here. Just retire and spend the time you have with Juliet." Garrus looked up at his father and shook his head when Garrick turned him down.

"I'm needed in England. I have this feeling in my gut…." Garrick slammed his drink back in one gulp.

"Damn it, Pa! Your family needs you!" Garrus snapped, "You weren't there for my childhood. Mom died having me, I get it. It was hard. But Juliet… that little girl loves you to death. You know she cries for you every Christmas? Because year after year you break her heart and write to her that you'll visit. But you don't ever show up."

The real Juliet sniffled next to Severus. He squeezed her hand and put an arm around her.

"The boy's wand has the same core as You-Know-Who's! They are connected and I'm the only wand maker who can figure it out!"

"It's always the same with you." Garrus shook his head and put his glass down on the coffee table.

"He's recruiting again! I could lead him right to your door! I can't let him kill any of you. I won't ever risk that."

* * *

The memories kept swirling and stopping at every key part that involved the war. From Juliet sneaking the Daily Prophet from her father's study and reading the different headlines. All of them capitalized on the war and deaths on every page. Severus read it over her shoulder, reading the dates and being shocking seeing that her trip to the past was all true. He watched her grow and hear or see anything that had to do with the war.

Then it finally cut to Juliet and her parents sitting in the living room having tea. Her father was sitting in a chair looking anxious with his leg bouncing up and down as he stared at the front page of the paper.

' **BRITTAIN'S ONLY WAND MAKER MISSING.'**

The floo activated and a voice came through, "Excuse me, are you Garrus Ollivander?"

"Yes! Who is this?" Garrus jumped up and walked closer.

"Sir, this is Healer Hector Mathews. Your father Garrick Ollivander has been found and brought to St. Mungo's for treatment."

"He's hurt?! What happened?!" Garrus asked immediately.

"He's a little banged up but he's alive. We're keeping him a few days for observation. He's awake now if you would like to come and visit him." The healer said.

Juliet jumped up from her spot on the couch and clapped her hands for him to look at her, 'Please, Papa! I want to see him.'

Garrus turned back to the floo, "The war… is it…."

"The war is over. We won. It's chaotic over here, but I guarantee you it's safe."

The memory swirled again and they were all in the room with Garrick sitting on the bed. He looked so old and frail, nothing like the strong man he knew of today. Juliet was sitting on the bed next to him and holding his hand.

"They had the elder wand. Albus and his stupid parlor tricks and slight of hand… we lost too many good ones, but the boy made it out alive." Garrick explained.

"You made it out alive too." Aurelia smiled down at him.

'Does that mean you can come visit us now?' Juliet signed to him.

Garrick smiled at her, "That means I can come live with you forever."

'Really?!' Juliet perked up.

Garrus coughed awkwardly and cleared his throat, "I don't know about forever. I mean we are running out of room. With the baby coming…"

"Baby?!" Garrick said and Juliet mouthed.

"Hey Grandpa, ready for another chance?" Garrus laughed.

The memory fast forwarded to them talking about Juliet staying. "Leave the little one with me. I could use the help around the house while I pack. We'll be in Rome by the end of the week." Garrick told his son and daughter in law.

'PLEASE?!' Juliet begged and jumped up and down immaturely.

"Alright, but if you need anything I want you to floo home right away. At least your mother and I can get some things done around the nursery."

An owl started to tap on the window, catching everyone off guard. Juliet walked to the window and took the letter from the bird who flew away immediately. She took the letter to Garrick, 'It's for you.'

He opened it and cursed under his breath. "That fool can't even leave me alone in his death."

* * *

They were in the headmaster's office, standing in the center of the room watching Juliet and Garrick walk through the door. Severus felt his heart stop as he heard the conversation about his life and lonely death. He listened to Albus as he spoke in great detail everything about the war from the beginning to the end. Halfway through the memory skipped and fluttered, and Albus changed his words.

"He had no one except his mother. You know she wouldn't be alive right now if you hadn't saved her, Garrick." This was the altered memory that Juliet spoke about. This is why her head hurt her when she saw his mother that night.

Severus' chest felt tight and the room was spinning, not because of the memories but because of the things being said about him. He willingly joined the man who would hurt and kill thousands of people in his quest for immortality and power. How he was the one who told this monster a prophecy that would kill his ex best friend Lily Evans and her husband James Potter. Leaving their son an orphan to live with her insane sister. He was a cruel person but not that cruel.

They went on to talk about his role as a spy. All the times they thought he wouldn't make it through the night when he showed up beaten and bloodied on the castle steps. Yet would get up the next day and teach a class of rowdy kids. Then they talked about him being the late headmaster of Hogwarts. Him- a headmaster?! He could barley wrap his head around being a teacher!

They talked about students being tortured and cursed with unforgivables under his watch. How he stood there and did nothing so he wouldn't blow his cover. What sick bastard would let people torture children? Him apparently and he felt like he was going to be sick.

The sun shifted and the golden urn shined on Albus' portrait. He watched as Albus asked Juliet to move it for him. Severus followed her towards the ladder and stopped in his track. The portrait of the older him was looking down at the younger Juliet.

The memory fluttered again and now his portrait's face showed the scars that he currently had. That was another change in the future. The real Juliet grabbed his hand and squeezed as he watched the younger version of her reach out and touch his picture. Then she went up the ladder and fell backward with the urn full of time-turner sand. The real Severus' instincts kicked in and he rushed forward to catch her but she fell through his arms. He forgot it was a memory.

The time-traveling Juliet stood up and met the very much alive and current timeline looking Headmaster. Severus watched in awe how she talked back to him, accusing him of being meddling. Then the younger looking Garrick came in and they talked about how she was his link to the future and her role in the war.

Severus nearly choked on his spit when he heard Albus tell Juliet that she would be hidden after graduation and Juliet wanting to return home. Then it dropped them on the back steps of the wand shop when Juliet found Severus on the alley ground. The way she reached for his face, lovingly with familiarity. It made sense to him now, she knew who he was from the very beginning and still loved him regardless of the things she knew of him.

* * *

The pace of the memories picked up to snippets of Albus meeting with Juliet. They spoke of her involvement with Severus and Juliet telling Albus to mind his own business. His favorite part had to be when she knocked the tea cup over on his desk. He knew she had a temper but to do so to a person of authority was humorous.

"Just like your grandfather… tell me, the outcome of the war-"

'Hasn't changed. You're still dead. The people on the parchment you're holding are still dead. It ends the same date as before. Can I go now?' she was getting tired of these weekly meetings.

He frowned and looked down at the parchment of names she wrote for him when she first came from the future. "Well, that's disappointing… tell me, what is your relationship with Mr. Snape?"

She scowled and squared her shoulders. 'None of your business. May I go now?'

"Oh, but it is my business. You know his name is on this list. I'm trying to save everyone on this list, Miss Ollivander. If you alter anything from what you've told me then you can change the entire outcome that I'm trying to achieve! You know how crucial he is to winning the war and if you alter his path-" Albus stood up and leaned on his desk with both palms. His long white beard falling into his cup of tea.

She stood up and defiantly matched his gaze. 'You know the path he led! You were the one who pushed him down it! God forbid he has a bit of happiness in his life! I like him, and he likes me-so you keep your crooked nose out of this!' they were both leaning over the desk now, facing each other down.

"Is that what you're doing here? Playing God to meet your own goals?" his tone was harsh and firm. He leaned closer to her over the desk.

'YOU are the one playing God. Changing the fate of the world because you weren't happy with the ending. You told me I'm stuck here and to make the most of what I'm given. Which isn't a lot- you forced me back here and told me that once I graduate, I have to be hidden in some dark corner of the world. So until that happens- until I have to go into hiding, I am going to live my life!' she was breathing heavy, and her face was red. Her temper was getting the better of her, and her magic was lashing out.

Albus looked around the room at the rattling objects on his desk and shelves. He'd seen this in powerful wizards and young children before they had a wand to focus their magic through. Her grandfather was one of those powerful wizards, and it looked like more than just his temper and silver eyes passed down to Juliet.

"You are dismissed. We will meet again next week." He said and pointed to the door. "Oh before I forget, your grandfather- is going to visit your real father in Rome for the holidays. So you will have to remain in the castle for the winter break."

She was still leaning over his desk, so before she stood up, she reached over and flipped his little saucer holding his cup of tea. 'Oops.' She signed then spun around and walked out of his office. She wasn't going to take crap from him, not in this timeline or the other. Her Papa was right about one thing- all Dumbledore's are arseholes!

Another memory….

"Miss Ollivander, have you had any memory changes?" he asked when she came to his office.

She shook her head, 'No, but Severus has gotten a letter from Lord Voldemort. He wants to meet him this summer.'

He looked over his glasses at her and leaned back in his chair, "But your memory hasn't changed, what is the problem?"

Shock wasn't the emotion that she was feeling, but it sure was the one that was on her face. 'What's the problem?! He is heading down the path to be a Death Eater! What happened to saving people?'

Albus sighed and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk in front of him. "He's going down his intended path that the Order needs. If Severus doesn't join Tom, then we won't be able to trigger certain events and save the others."

She wanted to slap him, but she didn't. 'Save the others? What about him?! What about Severus? What about the greater good bullshit that you keep shoving in my face?'

"Language, Miss Ollivander. You're still speaking to your Headmaster." He warned her and raised his brow.

"I don't give a fuck. What are you going to do? Send me back in time again?' she put her hands on her hips and gave him a look that dared him to try her.

His silence meant that she won, so she continued. 'I need to tell Severus. You can't push him into this; he has the right to know."

Albus stood quickly and pointed a finger at her. "You are not to tell him anything! It could severely damage the timeline and alter things we don't need."

'What's this WE that I keep hearing? You haven't' been looking out for anyone but yourself! I will tell him and let him make his own choice. I will not have him die because you need him NOT to kill you.' She took a step closer to his desk.

"That's not true! Besides, you know when his death is, we still have a chance to avoid it or have a serum ready for when the snake- "he was cut off by Juliet covering her ears with the palms of her hands.

'Don't say it! Don't you dare will that into existence! And fuck you for saying that twenty years is enough time with him. You can go right to hell!' she was now leaning over his desk as well, both staring each other down angrily.

"He will never believe you."

'Wanna bet?'

"How will you explain this little project that you've been working on?" he smirked at her and wiggled his left brow.

She stood up straight suddenly as if his words physically hit her. 'What?'

"Knowing his future, the things that are yet to come, accepting his contract… and this whole time you were looking for a way to go back home. To your time. How is he going to take it when he finds out that you're planning on leaving him? After… all… this… time…" he ended his last sentence with long drawn out pauses to get his point across.

The memories ended and they landed back in the study, he let go of her hand and stepped back and away from her. He couldn't breathe, and he wanted to vomit.

"You… you're trying to leave? Leave me?"

'That was before you and I-'

"Those star charts. You were trying to time you way back home and Lupin was helping you. that's how you knew he was a werewolf. You knew he was a monster with a violent history and you willingly got closer to him." Severus was getting angry now.

'THAT'S what you want to talk about now?!' she signed angrily. 'Yes I initially wanted to go home. But when I fell in love with you I didn't want to leave anymore. The only reason I kept doing the project was because I made it my final for that class.'

"But you know how to leave now…"

'But I won't. I will never leave you, Demon.'

Severus crossed the room to her and pulled her to his chest, "Don't ever leave me. I won't be able to live without you. Knowing my future… I can't… not without you."

Juliet kissed him and he held on to her like she was going to slip through his arms like the memory of her did. 'I will never leave you.'


	59. Chapter 59

 

 

**You've waited long enough. Here's some smut.**

* * *

Severus continued to work at the Apothecary every day, night and weekend. If he wasn't working and saving every Knut that he could, he was with Juliet. Refusing to be apart from her for longer than necessary. Always touching and always having his eyes on her, afraid that she will disappear before his eyes, just like he saw in the memories.

He had nightmares at night about her leaving him. Waking up in a cold sweat and sometimes screaming. Eileen was concerned for Severus but could do nothing more than try and talk him down from his nightly panic attacks and keep him from running next door to Juliet in the middle of the night. Severus was having severe abandonment issues whenever he thought about Juliet leaving him.

He spent every moment thinking of ways to run away with Juliet, just the two of them. They could go to America and start a new life. He heard there were a lot of good paying jobs for the Potions Masters over there. If he could convince Juliet to run away with him, then they had a chance of being happy together without being separated, because if she had to go into hiding after school, and then he was going with her. Severus swore to Merlin and all things holy that Albus Dumbledore was never going to keep them apart. If he had to kill the man before his time, then so be it.

Juliet had brought lunch over to the Apothecary for Severus and herself, making sure that he was eating throughout the day when he got busy. They sat in the back room at one of the workbenches he kept clean for her. Making sure that she always had a place in the shop, so she wouldn't have an excuse to leave. After lunch, they spent the remaining time in each other's arms. Severus sat her on the tabletop and stood between her legs with his hands either cupping her cheeks or on her waist.

That's when he brought up his plans to her, "Run away with me."

'What?' she mouthed and tilted her head to the side.

"Let's run away from here. Just you and me, we can go to America and hide away from the war. I have enough money saved up now, by the end of the summer I can have more. I tucked away some extra potions that I'm taking to school; I can sell them and get even more money." His voice was rushed, trying to sell it to her.

She put her hands up to sign to him, 'Severus, what about our family and friends? I can't leave Papa.'

He sneered at her and pulled away, "You'd choose them over me? Dumbledore won't let you see them ever again. He won't let you see ME every again after graduation."

She shook her head and reached for him, 'NO! I want to stay with you- be with you! There has to be another way.'

"Your words say otherwise." He crossed his arms.

'I choose you above all others! If I had to trade a thousand years in my timeline to be with you, I would do it in a heartbeat!' Juliet pounded her fist to her chest.

"Angel… don't you want to get married? We can't be married here, not with Dumbledore wanting to take you away from me. Your father said it himself; there isn't a timeline where he will leave anyone alone. We have to make out own future, away from here." Severus stepped forward and leaned his hands on either side of her, bringing his face close to hers and had the tip of his nose rubbing against the side of her cheek.

'When do we leave?'

He sighed in relief, "Before graduation. Before Dumbledore has a chance to hide you away from me. We leave as soon as you turn seventeen. Your father will pick us up from Hogwarts and take us to Mass. From there is when we leave. No one can stop us."

Juliet bit her lip; she was hesitant. 'How will we leave? Where will we live? Who would hire us when we didn't finish school?'

Severus had enough of her doubts, his hand shot forward around her throat and jerked her face up to look at him, "You doubt my ability to provide for you? I swore to take care of you; I have met that promise thus far. Haven't I? We will apparate to the Ministry, where I will have arranged for international travel through Lucius' father. We'll fly to America on a goddamn hippogriff if we have to."

Her lips moved, 'I'm sorry.'

"Don't be sorry. Be in love with me. Swear yourself to me as I have to you." his touch turned from rough to tender, moving his grip from her neck to the back of her head. "Nothing can keep us apart."

'Yes, Demon. I love you.' Juliet's wide eyes stayed focused on his as if she were in a trance.

"You're mine forever."

* * *

Garrick and Eileen escorted them to King's Cross Station. It was the second time Eileen had seen Severus off at the start of the school year since he was a first year. After that, Tobias told her that he could manage on his own. He never liked Eileen out of the house for longer than necessary. There were many wary looks and stares from the other parents at the station. They knew full well who Eileen was and murmured as they walked past. She was the disowned Head of House Prince whose son was the champion of the Unicorn Princess.

Garrick paid them no mind as he held onto Eileen's arm that was tucked into his. He made sure that people moved out of their way as they moved closer to the train. Garrick couldn't make the public like Eileen, but he would be damned if they wouldn't respect her as a proper Pureblood woman.

"You have all your supplies and your trunks packed?" Eileen asked them both as they were about to board.

'Yes, Ma'am.' Juliet signed and bowed her head.

"If either of you has forgotten anything, send Corvus, and we will send it back right away." Eileen insisted.

"Yes, Mother." Severus hugged her then turned to Garrick and shook his hand, "Sir, thank you for everything this summer. You will keep an eye on my mother for me?"

Garrick shook his hand firmly, "Of course, as long as you look after my little girl."

"Of course, sir."

Garrick looked down to Juliet and back to Severus, "Let's try not to have such an exciting year this round." His brow was raised as he looked back and forth expectantly.

They both nodded, "Yes, sir."

"You have a bright future ahead of you, Lord Prince. Well enough to take care of my daughter one day, let's try to remember that before you go challenging people to duels."

* * *

Severus refused anyone to share the compartment with them, even their friends. He wants as much time alone with Juliet as he could get. Before something happened where he didn't see her again. His wards were strong enough to keep them out and the woman with the trolley of sweets. The silencing wards didn't matter when Juliet wasn't able to scream.

During the summer they were unable to be with each other physically. Severus would never chance it with Garrick and his mother always around the shop or her house. He was determined to get rid of all the pent-up anger and tension that he was harboring the whole summer. Juliet was more than willing to help him with that.

Of course, Severus was always the gentleman though, the lady always came first and many times. Juliet was sitting on his lap completely naked, rocking back and forth on his hand and crushing his head to her chest. He didn't mind one bit; his mouth was firmly attached to one nipple while he free hand was cupping the other. When she came, the second time he could feel her body convulse and shake around him.

"Good girl…" He praised before kissing her.

Juliet desperately reached for his belt, trying to take him out of his pants as fast as she could. He chuckled as he watched her, then hissed in pleasure when she grabbed him with both hands. 'More.' She mouthed and lifted herself above him.

When she came down on him, he shifted her hips back, keeping himself from entering her. "Not yet. You know I can't take you until we are married."

She pulled her hands off him and angrily signed, 'You said that we were running out of time. That we were going to run away and get married in America. If we are already breaking all the other rules, then why not this one?'

Severus growled and grabbed her by the neck, sitting up straight and breathing down on her. "I signed a contract for your hand in marriage. Magical contracts are meant to be upheld no matter the location. I will not ruin my chance to make you mine forever because of an international paper trail."

She did something that he never thought she would do, she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and whispered angrily. "I need more of you."

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, trying to catch his breath. If he gave into her and his own needs, then it could ruin his plans in six months. When he opened his eyes and looked back at her, she could see the fire behind them.

"Lay down across the bench. On your back with your legs up." He ordered her.

She moved quickly, excited for what was to come. Hoping it was her. Severus got up and threw his shirt off, and kick is pants off that were tangled around his ankles. He knelt between her legs and grabbed them roughly, bringing her thighs together and putting both legs over one shoulder.

He pressed the tip of his cock to her folds, rubbing it up and down along her juices. She was more than ready for him with her heavy panting and trying to arch into him. Instead of entering her, he pushed himself between her closed thighs, running his length along her clit with each thrust.

'Please!'

"I've told you no, Angel." He grunted back at her.

'Just the tip?'

He threw his head back and laughed, "Who's the Slytherin here?"

She cupped her breasts that were bouncing with each of his thrusts, gasping for air when he reached down and slid two fingers into her. She could see the tip of him poking out from the top of her thighs, so she licked her palm and rubbed the tip of him each time he thrust.

"Fucking hell…" he grunted right before spilling his seed all over her stomach and thighs.

It didn't stop him from keeping the same pace. He fought through the high sensitivity to make sure that she was going to finish another round. When she came, this time she arched her back and clawed at his arm that was trying to hold her down. He always thought she was the most beautiful in these moments.

He pushed her legs apart and leaned over her, not caring about his seed that was making a mess of both. He kissed her, "I love you, Juliet."


	60. Chapter 60

**Muse has been kicking my ass lately. Sorry.**

**Setting things up for the furture of the story.**

**From here on out things are going to be jumping fast through the timeline. K? K.**

**I know you all have been waiting patiently. or impatiently. and im sorry. i will try to be a better author.**

**reviews bring faster updates. scientifically proven.**

* * *

When the train arrived in Hogsmeade, Severus refused to let go of Juliet when she greeted her friends. They gave her an awkward one armed hug while giving Severus a wary look. His friends knew better than to even try to touch Juliet or him. He wasn't the hugging type. When their carriage arrived to the castle steps he helped her out and kept her arm in his as they walked into the Great Hall.

"Mister Snape, Miss Ollivander… a word if you will." Albus was standing by the large doors of the entrance.

Without looking at him, he kept walking past. "We will not."

The shocked expressions on their friend's faces and surrounding students made him smirk. Albus scowled but didn't press for it. Instead he headed off to speak to Minerva and act busy before the welcoming feast.

"What the hell were you thinking?! Speaking to the headmaster like that!" Lucius asked in a hushed voice.

"Snape didn't just grow a foot over the summer, he grew a pair." patted him on the shoulder as he walked past him into the Great Hall.

"I grow tired of needless interactions. We are here to do our time and get on with our lives." Severus said and helped Juliet into her seat at the Ravenclaw table. He kissed her hand and bowed as a proper suitor should and followed his friends to the Slytherin table.

"Move it, runt." Avery snapped at a scared looking second year who ran further down the table.

Severus took his seat across from Juliet at his own table, making sure he could keep her in his line of sight at all times. Dinner went off without any issues, even when Lockhart strolled by acting as the new Head Boy, telling Juliet that he would escort her and the other girls to the common room.

"We've lived her for six years, you twat." Danny snapped at him and threw a pumpkin pasty at him.

Severus didn't care what any of the teachers was going to do or say about it, he was going to escort his girlfriend to her dorm. That's when Albus popped up again, on the sixth floor from behind a tapestry.

"I believe I asked to speak with you."

"I believe I told you no." Severus snapped. He had nothing to say to the man who was trying to tear him and Juliet apart after graduation.

"My office. Now." Albus scowled and pointed to the staircase that lead towards his office on the other side of the castle.

Severus didn't have a choice but to follow their Headmaster, he knew that he would probably corner Juliet on her own and didn't want that to happen at all. His only option was to get it over with and go about their night.

When the doors closed behind them, Albus turned on his heel and put his hands behind his back. "We have unfinished business to discuss, Miss Ollivander."

Severus pulled her hands away from signing a response, "What business is that, sir? Manipulating the past and future? Or controlling every aspect of her life?"

Albus' eyes shot from Severus to Juliet angrily, "YOU TOLD HIM?"

'I can't tell anyone anything.' Juliet shrugged and gave an innocent close lipped smile and pointed at her throat.

"I know what you're thinking. You want to erase my memories. Perhaps even vow me to an oath of silence. I tell you this once and only once, old man. You leave us alone and you will get no trouble from us. Erase my memories and Lord Ollivander will just restore them. I owe no debts or claims for you to vow me to an oath. If you even think of using her against me, Lord Ollivander will smear the front page of the Daily Prophet with your face. If you think he has nothing on you, you are sorely mistaken." Severus kept his voice calm and his head held high.

Juliet was surprised that he didn't lose his temper or start another fire. He must have planned this for weeks. Severus would never tell, but he did play out this exact scenario in his mind constantly.

"And if you speak of this to anyone?" Albus sneered.

"Then all you have to do is send someone else back in time to fix it, don't you? I understand this isn't the first time. Your failures are many." Severus smirked. "I am smarter than you think. I know that if I slip any of the information to another soul, you would just alter the timeline again and keep us apart. Trust that I will keep your secrets if you keep us together."

Albus gave him a long hard look. He hated that Garrick had left such a solid impression on the boy. "Very well." He took a few steps toward his desk before turning around again. "I also wanted to speak to you about becoming Head Boy for Slytherin. Although now that you laid out everything on the table, my bribe might not be welcome."

"Keep your pity badge. I have enough on my plate with my apprenticeship and graduation." Severus waved his free hand and looked around the room casually.

"I had no one else in mind. You know this gives you access to be outside your common room after hours, correct?" Albus' brows shot up and he tilted his head to Juliet.

She blushed and tucked her lips in her mouth while looking at her feet.

"I am a gentleman, sir. One who has a perfect standing contract and record with House Ollivander for her hand in marriage after we become of age. Not that it's any of your business, but  _we_  are both still…  _innocent_." Severus chose his words wisely. Taking a stab at the older man for his actions against Juliet.

"Think on it. If you decide to take my offer, sign this and it will come to me immediately. If I have no response by morning, I will know your answer and chose another Head Boy."

* * *

When he finally got to his own common room, his friends were still up and waiting for him. Severus walked towards his bed while shrugging off his school robes.

"Where the hell have you been? We thought you got caught and ended up in detention already." Regs said from on top if his bed.

"Dumbledore wanted to see me. Waste of time really." Severus said casually and threw the unopened scroll to Lucius.

He opened it quickly and skimmed over it while Yaxley and Mulciber read over his shoulder. Lucius looked up suddenly, "Did you even read this?! He wants to make you a Head Boy!"

"I know. I told him to shove it but the man can never take no for an answer." Severus said as he rolled up his sleeves and sat on the bed next to Regs.

Regs turned to him, "Why the hell not? This could be our year! You could cover for us whenever we need to go to the kitchens or even the welcoming party!"

"Yeah, Snape! Stop thinking of yourself for once!" Nott threw his dirty sock at him and missed.

Severus shrugged, "He wants me to think about it and sign if I accept. If I don't sign by morning then he will choose some other sap."

"What if that other sap is a Gryffindor!" Lucius argued.

"Then you sign it. It doesn't list my name anywhere on it." Severus leaned over to his trunk and opened the lid awkwardly. Reaching in blind and pulling out a quill, "Here. Sign and date it and you'll be the new Head Boy."

"What? I couldn't possibly-"

"Fuck it, I'll sign it. You ain't Slytherin 'nuff anyway." Rowle said and grabbed the quill from Severus.

Lucius held the scroll to his chest protectively. "Now just wait a second! I have the scroll- he gave it to me!"

There was a struggle for the scroll but Lucius did end up winning the battle and signed his name on the line at the bottom. It immediately rolled up and popped away to return to the Headmaster. A few minutes later a note crawled in from under the door and hit Severus in the center of the chest.

' _Really?'_

It wasn't signed, but he knew it was from Albus. Another note came in, this time a small envelope. It landed in Lucius' lap without violence and he pulled out his shiny new Head Boy badge, along with the rules and expectations of the Head Boy.

"So…. We all got something to show you, Snape." Regs said proudly and nodded to the other boys.

He gave his a hesitant look, "You aren't going to drop your pants and show me your shitty shaving techniques again are you?"

"That was one time! And I got better, I promise." Regs winked at him and started to roll up his left sleeve.

All of them showed Severus their pale forearms with the dark black skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. It looked fresh, still inflamed and red on the outline. They all smiled at him proudly. "Our father's said it was time for us to become men. We're Death Eaters now!"

"I tried to owl you over the summer, Severus. But I never got word so we got them without you. We couldn't wait any longer." Lucius added sadly, "Don't worry though. I'll talk to my father about getting you over the hols. Then you can join us after graduation and have a shoe in for the best positions and parties!"

Severus couldn't speak at first. He was so caught up in his own life and making sure he kept Juliet safe that he neglected his friends. She never told him when they got the mark but she told him they would eventually become Death Eaters. How foolish he was to think that he had time to save them. It was too late, they were already damned.

Severus grabbed Regs by the shoulders and shook him, "What have you done?!"

"What do you mean?"

"You stupid, stupid little brother." Severus held back the tears that were forming but pulled Regs into a tight hug. Something he never did to anyone but Juliet. "I will save you. I promise I will save all of you."


	61. Chapter 61

**Your reviews were so inspiring i wrote this in two hours. i didnt want to make you guys wait so im posting what i have now.**

**your patience has been much appreciated. i love you all.**

**who's ready for some sassy sev and lucius?**

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School went on as it did every year. With this being their final year Juliet dropped all of her Astronomy classes, much to Severus' pleasure, and picked up Charms as her focus for studies instead. This didn't sit well with Remus, because that meant he wouldn't get any private moments to speak to Juliet. Not to say he didn't try either way.

Remus tried to speak to her in the halls and during the Slytherin quidditch practice but Juliet just ignored him and kept walking. She believed in Severus' plan to leave school as soon as she turned seventeen and was trying her hardest to get as much learning in as she could and plan their new lives. Remus was certain that Severus was abusive towards Juliet. That was the only way he would have been able to keep her under his thumb like that.

He tried to tell Professor McGonagall his concerns but she advised him that those were serious accusations to bring forward without evidence. She promised to keep an eye on the pair but told him that with their marriage contract in place there would be little she, or anyone would be able to do unless they saw reason for Juliet to be in danger. Sadly that was the situation with most pureblood marriage contracts.

He watched them as close as he could with the Marauder map to get some sort of proof that Severus was hurting Juliet. Remus thought of telling her about what he saw in the prefect bathroom the year before but that was at a time he wasn't considered "of right mind."

The night of the welcoming party in the Room of Requirement was the biggest it had ever been. The seventh years decided to go all out and make sure it would be one to remember. According to Sirius, if you remembered it the job wasn't done.

Lily had been going around the room showing off her brand new engagement ring to everyone. Saying that James was only waiting for her father's response until she was of age. That wasn't the case at all and everyone knew it. House Potter had offered their only heir up to anyone and everyone for a marriage contract. Even throwing coin on top of the deal but with news of his actions last year and House Ollivander throwing their name through the mud, no one wanted to be affiliated with House Potter. This went for both Pureblood Houses and Half-blood.

"Does Evans know that she wasn't even his first choice for muggle born?" a girl said to her friend.

"Doubt it. Everyone knows he asked three other muggle borns for their hand before asking her."

"I heard that they even tried to get him to marry one of his cousins before they settled on her. It's bad enough that no one wants to marry you, but when your own cousin turns you down? Dang."

"They've always shot down House Black for marrying within families… kettle meet pot."

James didn't seem to care about announcing his engagement. He seemed annoyed about the whole ordeal, especially whenever Lily would hang all over him. Whenever Juliet was near he would give her death glares, blaming her for his problems and current situation. Although he had no one to blame but himself.

"Oh hello, Sev." Lily said much obviously as she purposefully walked by him the third time.

He didn't acknowledge her any of the times so she pretended that he did her fourth passing. Severus still ignored her old nickname for him and continued his conversation with Regs about quidditch. Juliet nudged him and nodded her head towards Lily who was still waiting for a response from him.

He looked down at Juliet and gave her a face that said, 'really?'

She responded by mouthing, 'Manners.'

She was absolutely right, he had to act as the perfect gentleman while in a public setting. Especially since Lily had just joined her non existent House to the low standard House Potter.

Severus rolled his eyes and sighed before turning and giving Lily any recognition. "Evans. I hear congratulations are in order."

"It's actually Lady Potter now." She tried to correct him.

Lucius stepped forward and corrected her, "You two are unwed. You are not Lady Potter yet."

Severus smirked down at her, "You're joining House Potter? Apologies, I shall offer my condolences instead." He bowed his head politely.

Everyone snickered and a few made some comments about her "poor situation."

"Is her situation any poorer than it was before? I mean really? She's sworn to a pureblood and she's still got on second hand robes." Lucius said to Severus in an innocent honest tone. He had a tendency to speak of lower classes as if they couldn't understand him or hear him.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Lily spat angrily.

Lucius looked at her with a shocked look, "Apologies, I didn't meant to cause offence."

"Yeah right." Regs snickered from behind him.

"I would have thought that since you are betrothed, that you would have at least learned our customs. Your betrothed should take care of you both emotionally and financially. To prove that he can be your better half." Lucius explained. Be was being surprisingly patient. Since becoming Head Boy, he took his role seriously and thought of himself as someone that everyone should look up to.

The boys knew it was only a matter of time before it went to his head.

Lily's face told them that she didn't know. "He's supposed to buy me things?"

Narcissa looked at the ring on her finger, "Do his parents not like you?"

"What? No! I mean- yes. They adore me!"

"I would think to patch any sour relationships with them, Evans. I'm not saying the ring you have isn't…. Cute. But joining to a Pureblood house would have you wearing the House ring. The ring of his mother." Narcissa explained and held up her own ring.

"But she doesn't have a House ring." Lily said with attitude and pointed to Juliet.

Lucius got offended for Severus, "House Prince has no House ring. It was lost with the death of his Elders in Rome. You would know that if you learned about our culture!"

Severus chuckled and reached into his back pocket, "Actually… I guess now that you bring it up, Evans. Now is a good a time as any."

Severus turned to Juliet and held the ring out to her, "Your father helped my mother track down our House ring. I insisted that it belonged to her, rightfully so. Yet, she refused and was adamant that the family ring should be worn by the soon to be Lady of House Prince."

He got down on one knee and showed it at an angle to everyone who was now paying attention to them. "Lady Ollivander, will you honor me by wearing the ring of House Prince?"

The ring was much larger than the one he bought her in Hogsmeade. It was while gold with a white diamond in the center, surrounded by smaller green emeralds in a circle. It looked like a blossoming flower.

Juliet's face lit up and she nodded her head instantly, holding her hand out for him to replace the ring on her finger with his House ring. He slipped it on and stood up, kissing her hand and catching her as she threw her arms around him.

"You're stealing my moment!" Lily stomped her foot.

"He did you a favor, you were looking like a peasant." Lucius rolled his eyes. "A word of advice, Evans. If you are unhappy with your betrothed, find a new suitor before your contract is final. He has to use this time before the wedding to prove his worth to you."

Lily gave it some deep thought and looked right at Regs.

He held his hands up and shook his head, "No thanks- rather die alone."

Everyone started laughing, making Lily's temper quickly build up and her fists clench tightly at her side. Remus had seen enough. He hit James on the arm, "Go defend your betrothed's honor!"

James looked over to where Lily was being laughed at by a bunch of Slytherins and Ravenclaws and rolled his eyes. He walked over and kept his eyes forward, not wanting to make a bigger deal out of his wife to be making him look bad at the party.

"Hey Lils, come on. Everyone is waiting for us over here. I'll get you a drink."

Lily turned her anger and frustration on him, "I don't want a  _drink._  I want a bigger ring and new clothes!"

James stepped back and put his hands up, not prepared for her sudden hostility. "What the fuck did I do?"

Lucius shook his head and clicked his tongue, "Good luck, mate. Sadly no one is going to challenge you for her hand in marriage."

Remus and Sirius had just walked over and stood their ground by their best friend. "Oi- wotcher!"

James drew his wand and took a fighting stance. Severus chuckled and crossed his arms, "Careful, Potter. Remember what happened last time you tried to duel me."

Remus grabbed James by the arm and pulled him back, giving Sirius the hint that he should do the same. They were highly outnumbered, "Come on, Prongs. Not here, mate."

"Go on. Fetch boy." Severus said sarcastically.

Remus was in it to win now, "The fuck you call me?"

"Sorry, is it Fido now? I don't know what pet name you're going by this year. Your boyfriend has yet to update the rest of us." Severus nodded his head to Sirius.

Remus growled and drew his wand, taking side with James shoulder to shoulder. "I'll fuck up the other side of your face, Snape. I won't need a wand or a bludger bat this time."

"I'd watch yourself, if I were you. I understand that you have to check in on a monthly basis to the magical animal control. You know McNair graduated last year and now runs the werewolf division. We still talk, he's a close friend." Severus couldn't keep the evil smirk off his face as he watched Remus' grow pale. He had everything on him and there was nothing that Remus could do.

McNair was in charge of his check ins and his potion disbursement, if he saw Remus as unfit for the program he could not only be dropped from the trial but also kicked out of school. Putting even more strain on his father who already had to find new work outside of the Ministry.

"Come on guys. It's not worth it." Remus finally said and put his wand away.

"Next time you bare your teeth at me, I'll make sure it will be muzzled." Severus called after him and pulled Juliet into his embrace as his friends laughed.


	62. Chapter 62

**This chapter is dedicated to MoodeysProtege.**

**Sorry for the spoilers, Moody. This one's for you.**

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Albus thought it was best to assign the known secretly known Death Eater students, Severus and Juliet included by association, in double DADA classes for their final year. He wasn't blind nor a fool, despite what Garrick claimed him to be, he knew their loyalties and would let their fates play out. He did want to prepare them properly for the world outside the safety of the school walls. Not only would they be enrolled in double DADA classes with the Marauders who planned on being Aurors when they graduated, he brought in a special guest to speak to the class.

Severus thought Alastor Moody was a joke and an ass. Their special guest speaker was still an active Auror in this time and had most of his body parts with not as many scars. He was currently ranked the number one Auror in Europe with 100% success rate in finding his man. Dead or alive. Moody spoke of his many dueling skills, medal and trophies from the tournaments he won. Explaining that the only man to best him thus far was Professor Flitwick, but it was only because he was such a tiny target to hit.

"You know what's kept me alive all these years?" Moody asked the class.

"Constant vigilance for 500 galleons." Severus snorted under his breath and rolled his eyes. Causing Juliet and their friends to snicker.

"Constant vigilance!" Moody yelled and slammed his hand flat on the desk of an unsuspecting student. Making the poor girl jump and nearly fall out of her chair.

"Perhaps I should have majored in Divination." Severus leaned in towards Juliet, wiggling his brows and making her snort.

Moody rounded on him, "Mister Snape!"

"Yes sir?"

"I heard tales of your dueling last year. Tell me, what was your strategy?" he asked and paced back and forth in front of the class.

"Use my opponents weakness against himself." Severus sat up straighter and spoke loudly.

"Those weaknesses were?"

"Lockhart is afraid of confrontation and his own shadow. Potter's ego is bigger than his wand." Severus smirked and leaned back in his chair.

The class laughed, making James blush furiously and snap his quill. Sirius leaned over and whispered, "Let it go, we'll get him back later."

Lily leaned over from James' other side, "Why? So he can make an ass out of all of you again? You know the ties he has. Just drop it!"

Moody stopped pacing and faced Severus with his arms crossed, "And you think that you beat two boys who don't know how to piss without squatting, that you're king shit? You think for a bloody second that you could take on a grown wizard?!"

"Perhaps. Won't know unless we give it a go." Severus shot back.

The whole room gasped, Juliet's head shot to look at him. She gripped his thigh under the table, squeezing it tightly and shaking her head. Juliet told him of Moody's fate in the future and what kind of man he was. Severus was treading on thin ice and she was trying to stop him from doing something foolish.

"Come on then. Get up here and challenge me properly. Like the man you claim to be." Moody snarled at him and waved his wand. The two front rows of desks were pushed back and towards the windows with the students still in them.

The Professor stood up suddenly from his desk seat, "Wait- wait! We can't have none of that now!"

"Quiet! Dumbledore brought me in here for hands on experience because you weren't going your job. You want to be helpful? Be the bloody official and swear us in!" Moody barked orders at the other man who jumped and did as told.

Severus got up from his desk smoothly and took off his outer robes, hanging them over the back of his seat. Then he took off his tie and threw it on his desk, not wanting the older man to use it to choke him in duel. As he walked up to the front of the class he rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and untucked his shirt. He wanted to make sure that he would be able to move as needed, since speed might be the only thing that would defeat this trained Auror.

When they saw his pale unmarked flesh the whispers started, everyone had assumed that he had taken the Dark Mark. A lot of people thought it was the cause for his sudden rise to fame and fortune. That only someone like Severus with poor upbringing would have with ties to the new Dark Lord to get ahead in life.

Moody's eyes flashed from his to his arms, he seemed to be shocked to see him without a mark as well. Both of them faced each other with their wands pointed up, bowing and taking twelve steps away from each other.

Everyone was quiet as the shimmering barrier went in place around them to protect the bystanders. Juliet was standing next to his friends and hugging herself tightly, worried about Severus getting hurt.

"I heard you like to play with fire, boy." Moody called out to him as the Professor went over the rules that no one was listening to.

"Can't promise I won't burn you."

"Your little flame won't bother me none." Moody smirked. He was well in tune with his core magic, and Severus was going to find out the hard way.

The bang of the Professor's wand announced the start of the duel. Severus wasted no time sending three spells to the older man in rapid fire and side stepping to his left while blocking a heavy spell. They were testing each other's reflexes and power. Severus knew the old Auror was a damn good duelist, and he knew that Flitwick had to have beaten him by using speed back in the day. The little Professor was a lot quicker than anyone ever gave him credit for.

Moody was getting frustrated that Severus was matching his spell strength and refused to stay still for him to get a proper bead on him. With his free hand he balled it into a fist and aimed at where he knew Severus would be dodging to next, catching him off guard.

A massive stream of water shot out and hit Severus in the face, acting as a bubble head charm and surrounding his head. He struggled for air but the water bubble stayed put as he clawed at it with his hands.

Moody smirked and lowered his wand, "You see class, this is what happens when you underestimate your opponent! Mister Snape might be in tune with his magical core, but what happens when water meets fire?" he barked out a deep laugh and threw his head back.

Juliet was being held back by the magical barrier and Avery. He was had his arms around her from behind and was holding her to his chest, keeping her from hurting herself or interfering. Severus could still hear and see with his head submerged, then it clicked. What does happen when water meets fire?

He used what little air reserve he still had and built his fire in his chest. Much like when Potter had filled his mouth with soap and boiled the water so hot that it quickly evaporated. With his wand he captured the steaming water bubble and threw it back at Moody. Hard.

The boiling water hit him square in the face and he screamed in pain as his skin was burning. Severus didn't stop there, he wandlessly set the curtains on fire behind him and pulled them with his wand to wrap around Moody. Was it deadly? Yes. Was it legal in the duel? Yes.

Severus was about to send a well placed Expelliarmus to get the other man's wand, that way he could quickly end the duel and save the man's life. Moody had other plans. His magical core came to defend himself and put out the fire around him, soaking his own clothes and the area around himself.

Severus didn't see it coming, water shot out like ropes around his ankles, wrists and neck. Pulling him down to the floor and spreading his arms far apart. He began to heat the water up like he had done before but Moody was on him with what felt like a blade to his throat.

Moody had formed a spike of water that he quickly froze, magically pressing it's deadly sharp end right above Severus' Adam's apple. He slowly marched forward with his wand pointing at Severus. "You put up a good fight, boy. But not good enough. You limit your magical core abilities. Look around you, there is water in the air we breathe. You underestimated your enemy and it would have cost you your life out in the real world."

He bent down to Severus' level to speak his next words, "I can kill you right now, do you concede?"

Severus, being the smartass that he is, swallowed awkwardly and said, "This would have ended one of two ways. Either you got your arse kicked by a student… or you kicked a student's arse. Which one do you want to brag about?"

Moody growled angrily and sent a bust of magic to Severus. It hit him like a train and sent him flying hard into the stone wall behind him. His head hit hard, making a sickening crack and knocking him unconscious.

Their Professor rushed forward and sent sparks up with his wand, "That's enough! He is done, I'm calling and end to this duel!"

The magical barrier went down and Moody lifted his wand high to claim himself the victor. Juliet rushed to Severus with Avery and Nott right on her tail. The DADA Professor ran his wand over Severus to check his vitals. Then told the boys to take Severus to the Hospital Wing then dismissed the rest of the class.

He stood and looked at Moody angrily, "He's right. You proud of kicking a student's arse?"

Moody curled his lip and turned away, "He almost fucking had me."

When Severus woke up in the Hospital Wing he was immediately crushed by Juliet's tight hug. His friends were standing at the foot of his bed and watching as the nurse healed him and brought him back to consciousness.

"Let him breathe, girl." Poppy tried to pull her off of him.

'Sorry.' Juliet signed and pulled back.

"Mister Snape, do you remember what happened?" She asked him as she shined the bright tip of her wand in his eyes.

"An Auror wiped the walls with my head." He said sarcastically as he followed her little light.

"I swear, the friends the Headmaster keeps! I shall have a stern word with him!" She tutted and turned to her little cart. "Drink these and take it easy the rest of the day. No need to keep you for observation. Your sarcasm wasn't damaged, sadly."

Severus drank them with a bitter face and swung his feet over the edge of the bed, preparing to leave. Poppy shooed his friends away, telling them they were excused from classes like he was. She either forgot that Juliet was there or turned a blind eye to give them time to speak as she walked to the back of the wing.

Severus looked up at Juliet then down to the floor, "What was I supposed to do? Look like a Hufflepuff and shy away from him? He chose me to make an example and I nearly won."

'Severus, you know of his skills and future. I told you everything about him when we knew he would be coming.' Juliet scolded with her hands.

"You said he dies in the future." Severus looked to her for confirmation.

She scoffed, 'Yes! And you know that you are the one to do it!'

Severus smirked and looked off into the distance, "Ah."

She punched his arm hard in warning.

"What?! I can't feel guilty for something I haven't done!" Severus put his hands up in self defense.

He got up and put his arm around her, leading her out of the Hospital Wing to go to the Library. She wrapped her arm around his waist and put her head against his shoulder.

"Yet."

She jabbed him hard in the ribs for the poor joke.


	63. Chapter 63

**sorry for the shit update schedule. i have no excuses. but i am here to make up for it with some funnies.**

**enjoy.**

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Winter had arrived and with it, bad news. Lucius' father was stricken with dragon pox and wasn't expected to live to the new year. The truth being that Lord Voldemort had secretly exposed the Malfoy head of house to the contagion in secret to work his way into the fortune. This was information that Juliet didn't know, which angered Severus until she told him that Albus didn't disclose every minute detail. He apologized for his outburst and explained that he was in mourning for his friend.

Lucius wanted his father and only living Malfoy other than himself to be at his wedding. So they quickly planned a wedding during the winter holiday. Narcissa was surprisingly calm at the sudden move of wedding date and took charge in making plans. Lucius was a wreck, knowing he was about to tie the knot for life and his father's imminent death.

Juliet helped Narcissa as much as she could since her jealous older sister Bellatrix refused to take part. Bella had graduated last year and was promised to one of the Lestrange brothers. They had yet to get married, let alone plan it because her betrothed wanted to sow his oats before he settled down. Having her younger sister get married before her was something she couldn't stand and tried to get her parents to forbid it. The wedding would go on as planned, House Black was eager to join houses with House Malfoy. Especially when it would soon be to the only heir to the fortune.

Severus was nervous about staying at Malfoy Manor during the winter holiday. Lucius needed him but he didn't want to be near his Dark Lord who took over the North wing, and he really didn't want Juliet anywhere near him either. Lucius needed his best friend and assured Severus several times that Lord Voldemort wouldn't even be in the Manor or the country until the spring. He was in Finland meeting with the Alpha leader of the werewolves and his packs.

Juliet begged Severus to let them stay at Malfoy Manor during the winter holiday. She said that there wouldn't be any parental supervision since Lord Malfoy was bed stricken, which meant they would be able to share a room and a bed. It was a split second decision for him when she made that point and he signed their names up for the roster to board the train. Juliet didn't have to tell Garrick where she would be since he planned on going to Rome for the holidays to visit her real father.

When they got to Malfoy Manor there was a large welcome home feast prepared for them. All of their friends chose to stay at the Manor for winter break for the same reasons. To support their brother during this hard time, get away from adult supervision and get absolutely smashed. Juliet thought Malfoy Manor was beautiful but much to large for even the largest of families. She despised the way their House Elves were treated but kept her mouth shut about it. She would vent to Severus later in private.

When they finally retired for the night in their shared room, Severus made sure that her frustrations were taken out by many series of orgasms. Still refusing to bed her properly, even with her begging, he made sure to handle her properly. Making sure she was completely satisfied and that she wouldn't go anywhere else but him for those needs. The best sleep of his life was naked and in her arms during the winter break.

During the day they would split up, Juliet helping Narcissa with the decorations in the main hall for the reception and Severus with Lucius and their other friends in the garden for the ceremony. They hired wedding planners and a team of helpers but Narcissa was putting them all to work anyway, saying that the more that helped the better things would look.

The day before the wedding Severus took Juliet to a high end part of the Diagon District. He let her pick her dress for the wedding and paid for it, along with the matching shoes and jewelry. Juliet thought it was too much but knew better than to argue with Severus. She would have like to use a dress she already owned and saved the coin for when they ran away. The dress she chose was perfect for being the Maid of Honor.

Narcissa asked Juliet to be her Maid of Honor since her older sister was being a cunt, her words not Juliet's. She gave her free rein on the dress style as long as it was silver or gray to stick with the winter themed wedding. The dress he bought her was silver with a white trim, and it shimmered just right when she spun around. It was simple and floor length, ending right above her new heels that he also bought her. The jewelry was all diamonds, from the earrings to the necklace and the bracelet.

"No fiancé of mine will be seen in rags at a wedding." Severus told her when he threw down the extra coins for the matching shimmering sash.

* * *

That night their friends insisted on taking Lucius out for his bachelor party, which meant that Severus had to go as well. Not wanting to leave Juliet alone, Narcissa promised him that they were going to have a quiet night in and he had nothing to worry about.

"Severus, out of all of Lucius' friends you are the one that I truck the most. Please go make sure he doesn't end up in jail." Narcissa insisted.

'She has a point.' Juliet signed to him and gave him a small shrug.

As soon as the boys left, Narcissa grabbed Juliet by the hand and grabbed a bag that was hidden behind one of the arm chairs and jumped through the floo. If she could scream, she would have but was forced to go through a wild ride of green flames.

When they landed she nearly lost her balance but Narcissa caught her. "Sorry, I couldn't trust that you wouldn't tell Severus anything. I wanted a night out myself, so I set up a gathering of some close friends of ours."

They walked out of the Leaky Cauldron as soon as they changed into muggle clothes and walked through London for awhile. It was snowing and cold but the clothes that she packed them were charmed to fight that off. Narcissa led Juliet to a muggle club with loud blaring music and walked right through the front door like she owned the place. She had bought the VIP room on the top floor with catered service and some of their school friends were waiting for them.

'WOW!' Juliet mouthed when she looked around and saw all the neon lights and dancing people.

"I trust that you won't tell anyone that I came to a muggle club on my last night of freedom?" Narcissa asked her as they were led up the stairs to their VIP section.

Juliet shook her head, she had to keep her answers simple since her friend couldn't understand sign language and she couldn't use her wand in front of muggles.

"I know what you're thinking, I paid Regs to get us fake identification so we can get in and drink. Oh look, they're already here." Narcissa pointed to where some other girls in their year were sitting.

Juliet was glad to see that she invited some of her Ravenclaw friends. They rushed Narcissa and put a tiara and a white sash across her shoulder that said 'BRIDE TO BE.' Juliet was adorned with a similar sash that said 'MAID OF HONOR' She didn't think she would have as much fun as she did, nor as many drinks, but the fruity drinks fooled you with how much alcohol they had in them.

After a few hours of drinking games and some of the male dancers coming to give them a show, Narcissa leaned across the table and pointed to Juliet. "I'm dying to know… is Severus really as big as his friends say he is?"

'WHAT?!' Juliet squinted and leaned closer to hear her over the loud music.

"She asked if Snape had a big dick!" Sophie yelled at Juliet who was sitting right next to her.

Juliet snorted and her face blushed, cupping her hands to her face as she busted out laughing.

"It was a serious question!" Narcissa said while laughing.

"Actually I think we are all curious. Does the wand match the size of his nose?" Danny asked her from next to Narcissa.

'What the hell, guys? Where is this coming from?' Juliet had pulled out her wand to write it, forgetting there were possibly muggles watching.

"I heard some of the guys talking about it, how Severus put them all to shame or something. I asked Lucius about it and he just told me that he was surprised you didn't limp when you walked." Narcissa said bluntly.

The girls erupted in a fit of giggles and looked to Juliet for the answer.

'We haven't gone all the way. He's waiting until we are married.'

"That doesn't answer the question. I know you two have fooled around. I KNOW YOU HAVE!" Mack pointed at her and shook her finger, "DON'T LIE TO ME!"

"Alright, how about we all share then? I'll go first. I'll hold my hands apart to give you a length reference then make a circle with my hands for girth." Narcissa said and put her drink down.

"Oh I like this game!" Sophie smirked.

Narcissa held her hands in front of her with both palms touching, then slowly pulled them farther apart. She stopped when they were nearly several inches apart and the girls screamed with laughter. Then she made a circle with her hand and peeked her eye through it.

"That's about right." She smirked.

"My turn!" Mack said, then started to put her hands together to reference Rowle's size.

"Really? How interesting…" Amelia said.

"The bloody hell does that mean?" Mack snapped.

"He's such a big guy… I thought he surely would have been bigger than Lucius."

"He's as thick as a bludger bat!"

"Juliet- it's your turn." Narcissa cut in.

She shook her head and blushed.

"Fine, I'll do it for you. Tell me when to stop." Sophie held her hands up and slowly pulled them apart.

They watched in amazement as her hands surpassed Rowle's size, Reg's size, Yaxley's and even Lucius'. Juliet moved her hand in the keep going motion and the girls gasped.

"You gotta be shitting me."

'STOP!' Juliet slammed her hand on the table.

"Damn…. For reals?" Danny leaned across the table.

'Yup.'

"I believe it. He's got that… you know… walk about him." Sophie wiggled her brows. "Ok and girth?"

Juliet pursed her lips and looked up and to the left in thought, putting her hands to her mouth in a circle and opening her mouth wide. She pulled them back and mouthed, 'This big.'

The girls went wild with shrieks of laughter and giggling. Mack wiped the tears from her eyes, "No wonder you put up with his shite. He's packing a bloody bludgers bat in his trousers!"

* * *

"We should all get a tattoo." A drunk Lucius slurred.

"We already have a tattoo." Avery rolled his eyes, speaking about their Dark Marks.

"Das not… a tattoo. That's a badge of honor. We need to get something that… that… tells a story. Of who we are." Lucius tried to sit up straight but ended up sagging into the back of his wooden chair.

"Yeh? What would you get then? A strutting peacock or a Thestral ass?" Severus snorted.

"Not funny."

"Fuck yeh it is." McNair laughed and chugged his pint as he watched one of the girls on the stage dancing around a pole.

"I'd get a tattoo of something manly. Like a… a… snake or something." Yaxley said.

"You already have a snake tattoo. A skull as well. Any other bright ideas?" Severus leaned forward with his elbows on the table.

"Snape- you should get a bat. A big nosed fucking bat. Get it on the middle of your chest." McNair suggested.

"Oh Rowle, I'm so glad you came. We barely noticed you were gone." Severus sneered.

"How's work been? Noticed you went and grew a beard. Finally grew some hair on your balls eh?" Regs leaned over and tickled the underside of his chin.

He swatted his hand away, "Now that I don't have to shave everyday for class, yeh. And the girl I'm seeing likes the facial hair."

"This is neeeeeeews. Do tell." Lucius was beyond wasted.

He smirked and looked down in to his beer for a second before answering him, "She's a Prewitt. Graduated a few years before me. Flaming red hair and a gorgeous body, good childbearing hips."

"Prewitt… Prewitt… Molly? She was in Gryffindor eh?" Avery asked.

"Yeah… she cooks like the devil, I tell ya. Met her at work, been going out for a few months now. I was gonna ask her to be my date to your wedding but she's gotta see family for the hols." He added.

"So it's serious then?" Yaxley asked.

"No that's my brother. Her name is Molly, pay attention." Regs giggled.

"I think I have the perfect idea. Let's get her name tattooed on you. That will show her you're serious." Lucius stood suddenly and knocked his chair backwards.

Severus caught it before it hit the ground, "No one ever said yes to the first time you suggested it."

"Let's let him get one and just see where this goes." Rowle rolled his eyes and stood up, following the stumbling Lucius out the door towards Knockturn Alley.

* * *

Severus stumbled into their shared room sometime around sunrise. Juliet was already in bed and passed out drunk, margaritas were her weakness apparently. He would have slipped into bed without waking her if it hadn't been for tripping on the rug and kicking the chest at the foot of the bed.

"Fugger muffin!" he cursed as he hopping on one foot.

She sat up as best as she could and looked at him groggily, "Shh…."

"So- rey… It's Luc- luss… shew… Malfoy's fault." He struggled to say his friend's name.

'Rough night?' she signed.

"Angel… I can't see straight. Juss… tell me in mormons." He collapsed on the bed on top of the covers.

Juliet tucked his hair out of his face and took off his boots, then she rolled over and passed out herself.

'Holy shite you're breathing too loud.' She waved her wand in the air and covered her eyes with her free hand.

"Apologies, my lady. I shall cease at once." Severus chuckled as he handed her a hangover potion.

'How are you alive this early?' she waved her wand as she downed the horrible tasting drink.

"I was smart enough to choke one of those down before I passed out last night. Here, have some pumpkin juice." He sat next to her on the bed and helped her drink it.

'You're too good to me.' She leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder.

He chuckled, "So I guess your quiet night in turned into a rager?"

Juliet didn't say anything.

"It's alright, I knew Narcissa wasn't going to stay in. I also knew you'd be safe because Regs followed you guys after we left."

'I will never drink again.'

"One must not tell lies, love. Did you have fun?"

She lifted her head and looked at him with narrow eyes, 'You're being surprisingly calm and understanding about me sneaking out of the Manor to have drinks with people.'

"What's that supposed to mean?"

'What did you do?'

"Shite." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, she knew him too well. "I… um… got a tattoo."

**SMACK SMACK SMACK**

She managed to hit him three times in the back of the head before he could jump away from her. "Ow! Damn it woman!"

'TELL ME IT ISN'T THE DARK MARK!'

His eyes widened and his mouth opened to form an 'O', that's what she was upset about. "It isn't I swear. It was Lucius' idea and then the other guys got theirs and I was last… then they called me a Hufflepuff."

She breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed her face with her hands. She looked up at him and crossed her arms while mouthing, 'Well, show me then.'

Severus stood and slowly unbuttoned his shirt and turned around to show her his back. He expected her to slap him again, or perhaps stun him while his back was turned. He never expected her to wrap her around him and feel her lips pressing against the skin of his back.

He sighed and leaned against her, "I wanted something that reminded me of you, but represented myself as well."

'Black wings. I adore them.' She whispered and kissed them again.

He turned around and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you aren't upset with me."

'Can't get mad at me for taking a body shot off a male dancer now.' She shrugged.

" **YOU WHAT?!** "


	64. Chapter 64

**if you're reading soldier of fortune you got the heads up on my current problems. I was hospitalized for like 3 days because I had norovirus and gastroenteritis. Then my kid went to the er for the same thing. Then a death in the family this morning. Shits been hectic.**

**Just hang with me while I figure out this life shit. Thanks**

* * *

Severus stood at the alter next to his best friend with his head held high but glaring daggers at everyone around him. He was still upset with what Juliet told him that morning. The thought of her doing body shots off of another man caused him to lash out at everyone that morning. The worst part was Juliet kept laughing about it and carried on as usual.

Regs was standing next to him wearing the identical dress robes that Severus was. He elbowed him hard and shot him a sideways glance, "Will you stop sulking? She was joking to get a rise out of you. Stop sulking."

"I don't sulk." Severus said through grit teeth as he watched Juliet give him a small smile from across the alter.

" _Nothing happened._ " Regs reiterated.

Lucius leaned over and whispered, "Shut the fuck up- it's starting!"

Narcissa came down the aisle in a beautiful white dress, it's long shimmering train of her gown trailing behind her. Her father held his head high as he walked her down the aisle. Lucius fidgeted where he stood and a sweat form on his brow.

"Calm down." Severus whispered to him for the hundredth time that day.

"What if I fuck up?" Lucius whispered back.

He sorted softly and rolled his eyes, "You were bred for ceremonies like this. Besides, the officiator tells you what to do at every part."

"Not that! I meant being a husband. What if I fuck that up?" Lucius wiped his sweaty palms on the sides of his dress robes.

"Doesn't matter does it? These things are pretty much forever ain't they? To infinity and beyond or something." Regs whispered back to him.

Severus shrugged his shoulders, "He's got a point. I mean, even if you fuck up it's not like she can leave you."

Bella whispered angrily from across he alter, "We can hear you!"

They stood up straight and kept their heads high, as what was expected of them. Severus sneaked a glance at Juliet who was across from him. She was trying not to laugh and was trying to hide it behind her bouquet of flowers.

'Calm down.' She mouthed to him through her smile.

* * *

The ceremony wasn't as long as Severus thought it was going to be. He made sure to pay close attention because he would be doing the same thing with Juliet in a few months time. The reception that followed was full of joy and drinks, except for Severus who was still bitter about the bachelorette party. Juliet wasn't letting Severus' bad mood get her down. She was drinking champagne and following the many adult conversations and immature ones with his friends.

"Severus why are you sulking? This is supposed to be a day of happiness."

Severus turned around to see Narcissa holding two glasses of champagne, extending one out to him. "I'm not sulking. Seems you came short a glass."

"Seems you came short a fiancé." She smirked and tilted her head to the empty spot next to him.

He did a double take at the empty spot next to him. Juliet was gone.

"Calm down, she is dancing with Lucius, that's why I'm here talking to you." She took the empty spot next to him and wrapped her arm in his.

Severus' eyes darted around the room and he found Juliet smiling and doing a ballroom dance with Lucius. "That woman will be the death of me."

"For Merlin's sake, Severus. Lighten up. She was joking about the body shot thing. I was the one taking them, all she did was pour. You are so easy to get a rise out of. Your brother just got married to me, Narcissa Malfoy, and you're still being a jealous old bat." She flicked her hair over her shoulder unnecessarily.

His shoulders dropped a bit, "You're holding yourself up there. Aren't you, Lady Malfoy? I see this is your third wardrobe change this evening."

"Fourth. Try and keep up, Severus. Come, I need to have one dance with my husbands man of honor." She set the glass down on a table and let him lead her to the dance floor.

He was on the other side of the dance floor from Juliet but close enough where he could see her. "You're certain it was just a joke?" he asked Narcissa softly.

She could hear the self consciousness in his voice, "Yes. You have nothing to worry about with Juliet. She's not a Slytherin."

He quirked a brow at her, "That's what worried me. I don't know how the little Ravenclaw's mind works. It's always jumping around from thought to thought so fast I would need a broom to keep up."

"She's loyal. Believe me, we had a  _long_  talk about you last night. You surprise me, Severus." Narcissa winked at him as she let him spin her around.

He was confused, "What did I do?"

"Its not what you did. Its what you have. The wand chooses the wizard and all that jazz."

His cheeks turned bright red and he tried to clear his throat awkwardly, "She said that?"

Narcissa shook her head, "Lucius told me first. Then the rest of the boys agreed. Juliet just confirmed it for us."

He shook her head and let his hair fall in front of her face, trying to hide his embarrassment.

She ignored him and sighed, "Can you believe it? I'm married! Then shortly I will be pregnant and this time next year we will have an heir!"

Severus' head shot back down to the woman in his arms, "What?! Why?"

She gave him a genuine smile, "Because it is expected of us. I shall raise our children while Lucius works at the Ministry. Don't worry, you and Juliet aren't too far behind us. Perhaps you will be blessed with a baby girl. Sadly the Malfoy lineages only produce males. You will let me a godmother wont you?"

It was all too much for Severus to take in. He was with her up until the married  _with children_  part. His future with Juliet never included children in the images he had planned. There was just waking up next to her every morning after hours of mind blowing sex.

"A what?" he couldn't think of a response to her question.

"Don't be like that. It's a very good thing to have. Now, dance us closer to my husband. I would like to have one last dance with him before our honeymoon."

Severus followed her instructions but his mind was stuck on what she said. His best friend was going to be a father soon. All because it was expected of a pureblood. Sure, there were families that took a few years to have their children but they were  _Sacred 28_  for Merlin's sake! There were even mixed blood couples who chose not to have children at all and no one cared because it was less half blood children brought into the world.

What about Juliet? She was the Bloody Unicorn Princess! The wizarding would be looking to them to reproduce by the dozens! He felt sick all of a sudden. He couldn't be a father. He had his hands full with taking care of his mother and Juliet. Add a crib midget to the mix and he would be broke and bald by the time the child reached school age.

That was the glory of running away and eloping wasn't it? Something he had nearly forgot because he was caught up with his life in England. If they were already breaking protocol and Sacred methods by leaving before graduating and eloping our of the country, then crossing children off the list was going to be the easiest part.

He let Narcissa go and bowed formally to Juliet, taking her hand and bringing her close for their dance.

'It's about time you danced with me.' She signed quickly before taking his hand again.

"How long were you gone?" he asked honestly.

'Apparently long enough to dance with all your friends. You were sulking the whole time and I was tired of being ignored.' She had never been this honest with him before.

"How much have you had to drink?" he smirked.

'As in glasses of wine or number of body shots?' she teased.


	65. Chapter 65

**sorry for the lack of posting. Shit has been hectic. Been hospitalized twice, started a new job and found out I'm having a boy! *confetti***

**So this is where shit is gonna get real. Hold onto your butts.**

**I promise to post another chapter this week.**

* * *

Winter break finally came to an end after celebrating the wedding and Severus' birthday before getting back on the train. Lucius and Narcissa had been given an extra two weeks off of school for their honey moon. Unfortunately it ended short due to Lucius' father passing away.

The Half-Blood Prince and the Unicorn Princess were counting down the days until her birthday, planning and making special arrangements for their leave. Always huddled close together in class and in the library, whispering back and forth what to expect the day of and the many years after.

Remus didn't like this at all. He heard all of their secret plans with his enhanced hearing. He still considered Juliet a close friend even after what happened last year. Remus believed that Severus was using her and manipulating her into doing things solely for his own benefit.

He felt like he had to do something to save Juliet. He couldn't and wouldn't deny that he still had feelings for her. Now that his inner wolf was under control he truly felt that he had a chance to make things right between them. Especially making things right when it came to her safety.

Remus knew exactly what kind of boy Severus Snape was. Lily had told them more than enough about him and he spent the past seven years in war with him. That Slytherin was bad news and he witnessed it first hand in the prefect bathroom last year. He just had to get Juliet alone so he could talk some sense into her.

So he waited for her to get out of Charms class. He followed her on the map for long enough and knew that Severus was still in the dungeons. They always planned to meet near the Great Hall for lunch. He skipped his Divination class, which didn't mean much, and waited for her.

She walked out of class by herself, since none of her friends chose to major in Advanced Charms. He walked up behind her quickly and called her name. Juliet either ignored him or didn't hear him, so he said it again but louder. Now he knew she was ignoring him.

"Hey, Juliet-" he grabbed her arm to turn her towards him.

Juliet's first came around so fast he didn't have time to duck or block it. She crushed his nose so hard that his head shot back and blood poured down his face.

"BLOODY HELL!"

She didn't apologize or say anything. She just stood there watching him stomp around in pain.

Remus gave her a shocked look. "It's just me!"

'I know.' She signed and walked away again.

James walked up beside him with raised brows, "What did you do?"

"Hell if I know, mate. I just wanted to talk to her." Remus said as he squeezed his nose and tilted his head back to stop the blood flow.

* * *

That didn't stop Remus. He refused to give up on Juliet, thinking that now she got that off her chest she would calm down and give him a chance to speak. So he waited for her again, this time in the library after Severus left her for quidditch practice.

"I need to talk to you." He said immediately when he leaned on her table.

Juliet didn't acknowledge him again.

"Did you hear me?"

Juliet kept reading her book.

"What are you doing?" he asked, hoping to get some response from her.

' _Minding my own business.'_  She signed with one hand while keeping her eyes on her book. She mouthed the words as she signed, letting him catch on to what she was saying.

He sighed in frustration and took the seat directly across from her and leaned over the table, whispering as best he could. "You don't have to talk to me but at least listen.  _Please_. Snape's a bad person and you shouldn't be with him. He's-"

She slammed her book shut loudly and glared at him. " **Mind your own.** " She whispered angrily.

Remus grit his teeth in frustration, "I'm worried about you because you're my friend. I care about you. Snape is bad news, Juliet. If he hasn't hurt you, he eventually will. He came from a broken home and all it did was make a broken Slytherin. I've seen the way he touches you, that's not a healthy relationship."

She sneered at him, whispering angrily, "Oh and you have  _soooo_ much experience with relationships right? Everyone knows Sirius is in love with you but won't come out of the closet."

He flinched as if she punched him again, "You're mad."

She quirked a brow, and whispered mockingly "I've seen the way he touches you."

"I know you're planning to run away." Remus said suddenly.

Juliet rose from her seat suddenly, making the chair screech back loudly and people look over at them. Remus stood slowly to meet her eye level.

He leaned over the table, "I can hear your whispers, Juliet. I can hear the false promises he tells you. All the lies that drip from his poisonous tongue."

She was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes, "He's never lied to me! He's a good man!"

" _HE'S A FALSE PROPHET!"_ Remus whispered angrily and gripped the edge of the table tightly.

His inner wolf wanting to protect her and mark her as his mate. He wanted to pin her down and make her submit to him. Knowing how submissive she was with Severus excited him, that he couldn't deny.

"Why do you care?"

"Because I care about you. No matter what happened in the past I still care about you. I can't get you out of my head no matter what I try. Your scent drives me bloody mad and I just want to bury my-"

" **Bury your what?"**

Remus backed up when the tip of her wand dug into his throat right below his chin. Juliet had enough of Remus and was about to blast him into the History section of the library.

"I didn't plan to come here and confess my feelings. I came to warn you about Snape." Remus stepped far enough away that she couldn't reach over the table to him.

Juliet kept her wand pointed at him for a few more moments before waving it at her books. They zoomed into her bag and she grabbed it while giving him a harsh look and storming out of the library.

* * *

Juliet didn't tell Severus anything about her encounters with Remus. She didn't want him to go on a raging mission to kill the Gryffindor when they were so close to freedom. They were better off focusing on getting out and staying together.

The says leading up to her birthday, Remus continued to follow Juliet. Even trying to change her mind about leaving whenever she wasn't around Severus. She continued to avoid and ignore him as much as she could.

Severus knew something was wrong with Juliet but thought it was her having last minute nerves. He chose not to say anything to her about it. Not wanting to chance her talking herself out of running away with him. He would never admit it but he was just as nervous as she was.

He was taking full responsibility for both of their lives and he was scared out of his mind. What if they wound up poor and living on the streets? She would leave him in the gutter he led them to and run back home to Garrick. She had every right to and that scared the shit out of him.

Severus saved every coin he could get his hand on and worked extra hard at his potions. He sold them quick for high coin on non Hogsmeade weekends. The amount of seventh years who needed contraceptive potions on a Friday night was astronomical. He was hoping that if he owled Master Jiggers once he settled in American, he might let him finish the last few months of apprenticeship via floo. He didn't want the last year and a half of training to be for nothing, especially if he had to start over under a new master.

The morning of Juliet's birthday was nerve wracking. Neither of them could sleep and they packed their things over and over a hundred times. Severus wanted to make sure that they would both be prepared if they got separated so he gave her coordinates to remember. They were to meet on a hill in the western countryside near Wales. That's where Lucius had arranged for an illegal portkey to meet them in the shape of a broken flower pot.

Severus picked up Juliet from her rooms like a gentleman and formally bowed and kissed her hand. She was of age now and he was to be wed to her soon. Everyone in the castle had their eyes on them and they had to play the pureblood part. He escorted her down to the main hall where Garrick was waiting for them, standing next to Albus.

"Lord Ollivander. Headmaster." Severus bowed formally in greeting.

"Lord Prince." They both bowed.

Albus took Juliet's outstretched hand and kissed it, "Lady Ollivander."

Juliet bowed formally and did the same with Garrick. 'Headmaster. Papa.'

"You look absolutely gorgeous, little one. You have grown so much and I am proud, yet sad to hand you over to Lord Prince." Garrick pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her forehead.

'I'll always be your little girl though, right?'

"Of course! Now, let's get going. I made special reservations for us after mass." Garrick led them out the front doors.

Once the doors closed Remus stepped up to Albus, "Mr. Lupin, how can I help you?"

"Sir, I need to speak with you urgently and privately. It's regarding Miss Ollivander and her safety." Remus said quietly.

"To my office then." Albus nodded and led him up the stairs.

* * *

Juliet tried her hardest not to cry the whole day. She knew this would be the last time that she would be seeing Garrick and hope that he wouldn't hate them for running away. Juliet knew how depressed and lonely he would be once she left because she knew him from her time when he distanced himself from his son.

Severus was trying not to fume with rage and kill his Potions Master. His mother and Master Jiggers had joined them for mass and at the birthday lunch following. He kept giving them weird looks the whole mass, trying to figure out why they were so close together. Then he saw Master Jiggers put his arm around his mother and nearly shot out of his seat.

Juliet dug her nails into his thigh and mouthed while giving him a sharp look, 'STOP!'

He scowled but listened to her, "Did you know about this?"

'No, but I think they're cute! You should be happy your mum has moved on. She deserves to be happy.' Juliet kept her hands down and covered by the coat in her lap.

Severus shook his head but let it go for now. He muttered under his breath while turning his attention back to the priest, "It's not right."

After mass they all filed out of the church and just like last year, the Prophet reporters were there and ready with their questions and cameras.

" **Happy birthday Lady Ollivander!"**

" **Lady Ollivander- when is the wedding date?"**

" **Are you expecting a child in the fall?"**

" **With House Prince not having an estate, where do you plan to start your House?"**

Severus grit his teeth and sneered at the reporters, wanting to tell them exactly what was on his mind but knew better. Juliet squeezed his arm and rested her head on his shoulder while smiling at the crowd.

Garrick answered for them, "House Ollivander is proud to be joining houses with House Prince when their education is finished of course. Lord Prince is coming up on completing his Potions Mastery, making him the youngest Potions Master in history. He had dedicated his time, patience and skill to prepare himself for the career that will lead his upcoming family to success."

" **A Potions Master at seventeen? It's unheard of!"**

" **What cost did House Ollivander pay to sponsor his apprenticeship?"**

Jiggers took the opportunity to answer those questions, he hated the public just as much as Severus did. That's why he kept to himself in Spinner's End and didn't work in the shop. "Lord Prince has shown a natural talent and aptitude for potions ever since he stepped foot in the classroom. Master Slughorn can assure anyone of that. I chose to take on Lord Prince as my first and possibly my only Apprentice because he has something I have yet to see in even the most experienced Potions Masters. That is passion for potions making."

The crowd murmured but kept held their questions because he wasn't done. "I sponsored Lord Prince myself because he has completed every task that I have given him without fail. I'm sure you were all aware of him transporting highly dangerous potions on a muggle motor bike last summer. I am proud to say that Lord Prince will soon be offered partnership once he graduates with his Mastery."

The crowd went wild with questions. Severus was completely caught off guard by that announcement. They never discussed this before and he didn't know what to say. Luckily, Juliet pushed his free arm towards Jiggers and he took the hint to extend his hand.

"Sir, it would be an honor." Severus shook his hand firmly and tried to ignore his smiling mother next to his Master.

"If you excuse us, it's time we went out and properly celebrated." Garrick said and nodded to the rest of his party.

Now being legal, Juliet was able to Apparate since she passed her test the month prior with Severus. He took charge as always and apparated for both of them to the restaurant Garrick mentioned to him earlier. Garrick arranged for them to have the largest private room in the classiest restaurant in North Diagon Alley.

* * *

After dinner Garrick hugged Juliet tightly and shook Severus' hand. "You make sure my little girl gets back to the school safely. I'm going to stay here with your mother and Jiggers for a night cap."

Juliet threw her arms around Garrick's neck and sniffed, "I love you Papa."

Not knowing that this was the last time he was going to see her, he laughed and patted her back. "I love you too, little one. Perhaps you've had a bit too much wine tonight. Severus, will you make sure she gets a potion when you return?"

"Of course, Sir. Have a good night. Please see to it that my Mother makes it home alright." Severus shook his hand.

"She's already in good hands, don't you think?" Garrick teased.

"I'm not calling him Da." Severus said stubbornly.

Garrick threw his head back and laughed, "Alright you two. Get going before curfew hits."

He stepped back inside the restaurant, leaving Severus and Juliet alone out on the veranda where they would apparate directly from. Severus pulled her into his open arms and pressed his forehead to hers. "Are you ready, Angel?"

She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye but nodded, "I'm ready Demon."

Severus kissed her gently and looked at her deeply, "Remember, stay with me no matter what and I will keep you safe. Dumbledore won't be able to find us and he can't ever hurt you again."

They held each other tightly as they apparated to the portkey location.


	66. Chapter 66

**as promised, update by the end of the week.**

**I honestly cant say when my next update will be. I have to travel for work next week tandem close on a house we bought. Yay. So its gonna be hectic AF honestly.**

**if you didnt hate albus before you sure as shit will now.**

**Reviews plz**

* * *

Severus apparated them to several random locations before their planned destination. When the world finally stopped spinning, Juliet peeked her still watery eyes open from hiding in his chest. It was dark and cloudy, the half moon just barely peeking out to light their way up the hill. To her, this was the most beautiful place she'd ever been. Most likely because it was the last of Europe she would see for many years.

Severus kissed her forehead, "Remember what I told you. If we get separated the man we are supposed to see is named Rookwood. The password is dahlia, he will give you the forged passport and documents then take you through to the safe house set up."

She nodded and sniffed quietly.

Severus tilted her face up to look at him, "Tell me you love me. Tell me you want this. Tell me I'm doing the right thing."

He was just as scared as her. If she told him she changed her mind he would stay with her and live the life of imprisonment to Dumbledore for her. If it meant that it would make her happy then he would do it.

'I want to be free… with you, Severus. I want to live my life with you without the Dark Lord or Dumbledore. I want to spend every day with you and not have to worry about your death.'

He breathed a sigh of relief, "As soon as we are able, I will marry you. That is a promise."

He ran his thumb over her engagement ring and kissed her like it was the last time he would see her. "Long distance port key travel isn't dangerous but it isn't pleasant. Hold onto me tightly and keep your eyes closed. Come, we only have a few more minutes."

He grabbed her hand and led her up the hill quickly, patting his pockets with his free hand as he went. It was far too late now if he forgot something, but the nervous tick wouldn't go away. Their trunks were shrunken and tucked away in their pockets. Severus made sure that Juliet kept her own on her in the event they got separated.

" _Lovely evening isn't it?"_

When they got to the top of the hill they heard a voice that sent shivers down their spines. Severus drew his wand quickly and pointed it at Albus. Their Headmaster was standing next to the port key with his hands folded behind his back and sporting a knowing smirk.

"Did you think you would get away from your destinies? A little werewolf told me you were trying to leave."

" _That son of a bitch!_ " Juliet whispered angrily under her breath.

"Get behind me." Severus ordered her and took dueling stance.

"Did you think you could just  _leave_?" Albus continued his questioning.

"We are of age and therefore aren't breaking any rules." Severus said.

Albus chuckled darkly, "Rules? I make the rules. Your destiny is here, fighting in the war."

"We choose our own destinies. You cant control us-"

"The timeline mustn't stray from its path!" Albus snapped.

Severus raised his voice as well, "You've already fucked history over time and time again! We refuse to be your pawns, old man!"

Albus stepped closer to them with a dark look in his eyes, "The outcome of this war is too volatile to consider morals. I won't let you leave."

Juliet pointed to the portkey, it was almost time. Severus flicked his wand at the portkey, summing it to them but Albus knocked it away with the flick of his hand. Juliet squeezed Severus' middle from behind, she was scared and he could feel it.

Severus' hand and wand twitched, "Remember, old man. I'm the one that kills you. I won't hesitate to do so early."

Albus' drew his wand but kept it down at his side, "Only because I let you. You forget who you are dealing with,  _Lord Prince_."

Albus pointed his wand at Severus who stepped back, trying to cover Juliet from harm. "You'd duel to keep us hostage?"

There was that damn twinkle in his eye, "No, I would duel for the hand of Lady Ollivander."

Juliet gasped and Severus tensed. A cold sweat ran down his back and his heart was racing. "You wouldn't."

"You think I defeated Grindelwald by playing by the rules? By not getting dirty? Your only weakness is each other, only a fool could miss that. If I dueled for her hand what would you do?" Albus took a dueling stance and pointed his wand up, preparing to formally call the duel.

"I would stand my ground and defend her honor. She is mine and no one can take her from me." Severus raised his wand as well.

She shook her head and moved to his front. She grabbed fistfuls of his travelling cloak and shook her head. 'NO!' she mouthed to him.

"Stand aside, Angel." Severus cupped her cheek and nodded his head behind him.

Albus chuckled, "You would chance losing her? I defeated Grindelwald, boy! You have no idea what powers you are messing with!"

With the wave of his wand the air around them changed. A sudden force of wind came in and started to circle them. Their hair and cloaks flying around madly with its force. Albus was channeling his elemental magic, air. They planted their feet into the ground but still struggled with standing upright without holding on to each other.

Severus' temper was in full effect now, his grip on his wand was tight and the magic around him and Juliet pulsed. The earth started to shake and smoke rose from the ground. Soon they were surrounded by a ring of fire that was dancing in the wind billowing around them.

His fire never harmed her but it did set the tall grass around them ablaze. His magic was instinctively flaring out to protect her.

'His wand! He has the Elder Wand!' Juliet signed and tried to tug on his wand arm.

"What do you mean Elder Wand? That's just a myth."

"You dare take that chance? Once I win her hand you will never see her again."

Severus looked down at her. Juliet was begging him to stand down, she didn't believe that he could honestly win and that scared him. When she disputed his other duels it was nothing like what she was telling him now. She was afraid of being separated from him, and to be honest he was too.

'Please. Don't do this. He will ruin us.' She was crying now.

"Listen to her, boy. Or that desolate future she told you of will happen." Albus teased.

He was playing on Severus' temper and it was working. His ring of fire shot out at Albus like a whip cracking. An echo of a primal roar could be heard in the flames, something never heard before. Albus moved faster than expected and twisted his wand and free hand in front of himself.

He manipulated the wind around them to control Severus' flame and keep it from hitting himself. He wasn't the master of elemental magic like Garrick was but his skill was far above Severus'. Soon the pressure of the wind extinguished the flames in thick black smoke.

Juliet pushed away from Severus and ran towards Albus with her hands up and mouthing, 'STOP!'

Severus reached for her but wasn't fast enough. Suddenly she was stopped by an invisible force and unable to move a step in wither direction. The wind created a dense barrier around her that whipped her hair and cloak around madly. Severus made to run after her but Albus was standing next to her and the barrier with a sinister grin on his face.

" **AVADA-"**

"I would stop if I were you." Albus pulled out a small pouch from his inner robe.

"Let her go!" Severus growled. He was fully prepared to cast the killing curse.

"Do you know what this is?" Albus dangled the little pouch by it's leather knot. "It's the same sand that sent Miss Ollivander to this time. Sand from a time turner."

Juliet's eyes went wide and she started to pound her hands on the invisible barrier even harder. Severus felt his gut drop. Albus was a monster.

Severus didn't say anything so Albus continued, "I can send her forward or backwards. I can do whatever I want. A simple incantation, a little bit of sand and she will be gone forever."

Severus lowered his wand, "No…" He swallowed the hard ball in his throat and the fire around him quickly extinguished. It left a burnt scorch in the earth around him.

Albus' smirk grew wider, he had the upper hand. "I could send her back to the future, to right before she came to us 2 years ago. I could reset this whole timeline but this time send her to Beauxbaton. She would never see you again, neither of you would know of each others existence."

His whole world came crashing down. He couldn't even fathom his existence without her. She was the air he breathed and the light he needed to survive. Juliet had told him the despaired life he lived in her timeline and it had turned into his greatest fear. A life without her.

"Don't." that was the only thing he could say.

"What would you do for her? To keep her here with you?" Albus asked in an amused voice, he was toying with him. He had him exactly where he wanted.

Juliet shook her head, signing to Severus 'Don't do it! Don't let him win! I will find you! No matter what timeline- I will find you!'

Severus looked at her longingly before answering, "Anything."

"Anything?"

"Name your price."

Albus chuckled with glee. "You'd be willing to commit your soul to me?"

"NO." Severus said firmly.

"No?"

"I cannot give you which I do not have." Severus held his head up high and looked to Juliet. "I gave her my heart and soul long before I ever knew I had one."

He curled his lip up in disgust, "How sentimental… then you would give your life to me. Eternal servitude to do everything I demand of you. Your life, your future is mine until Lord Voldemort is defeated in the final battle."

"You'll keep her here? In this time? Safe? With me?"

"Yes." Albus put the bag of time turner sand away.

"You will let us marry and remain together? Until the end? You won't hide her away from me?" Severus' throat was dry but he knew what he had to do.

Hot tears were streaming down her face, 'NO! PLEASE! DON'T DO IT, SEVERUS!"

"Yes. You two will remain together until the very end. As long as you both play your parts. Do you agree?"

Severus kept his eyes on Juliet, "Yes."

Albus stepped forward with his wand, "Then vow to me. An unbreakable vow to keep your word."

Juliet took her wand out and started to blast away at the magic holding her back. The last thing she wanted was for Severus to be under Albus' thumb. She knew exactly what he was going to make Severus do and the hell of things to come.

"On your knees." Albus instructed.

Severus looked past Albus one last time to Juliet, "I love you."

He fell to his knees, bowing his head and waiting for the magic to bind him.

"Your wand and hand." Albus instructed and held his own out.

Severus knew that they would have to perform this without an official bearer and having Juliet as the witness. Both of them held their wands in the palms with the tips pointing down their own arms. They grasped hands firmly and watched the golden glow form around it.

"Do you Severus Snape, of House Prince vow your life to me in servitude until Lord Voldemort takes his last breath? To stay and do as I require of you to win this war?"

"I do." Severus winced as several golden strands came out of his own wand and snakes around his arm tightly.

"Do you Albus Dumbledore, of House Dumbledore vow to keep Juliet Ollivander in this timeline, safe and out of the war, with me until the end of the very end? To live her life with me without any hindrances?"

"I do." The golden strands came out of Albus' wand and tightened around his arm.

Once the golden glow faded away they let go of each other's hand and the magical barrier of wind surrounding Juliet disappeared. She ran to Severus and fell to her knees with him, cupping his cheeks and pulling him close.

Albus straightened his robes and cleared his throat. "I expect you both back at the castle and in your dorms by sunrise. You may apparate directly into my office." He disappeared with a small 'POP' and left them alone on the hill.

'What have you done?' She cried as she mouthed the words.

Severus looked down at her sadly, "I did it for you."


	67. Chapter 67

**plot twist**

**Dumbles galore.**

**cliff hangers suck**

* * *

Juliet apparated them to Albus' office, still in a knelt position on the floor. Severus was speechless, he didn't know what more to tell her, other than it was the only way they could stay together. How could he tell her that he did the right thing without also being a failure? That he failed to get them out of the country, failed at fulfilling their dreams of being far away from this place and out of the war.

'We'll get through this. I won't let him ruin you.' Juliet kept whispering to him as she held him.

The empty office fireplace flared green, making Juliet jump and spin around. She didn't expect Garrick to come out of the floo with a worried look on his face.

Garrick looked past Juliet to Severus, "What happened? You weren't there!"

Albus stepped out of the shadows behind his desk, "I should have known you would show up."

Severus glared at Albus while answering Garrick, "Never made it to the port key. He held Juliet hostage."

Garrick's head shot to Albus and a distant sound of lightning striking could be heard in the air, his magic building up quickly. "You dare?" In his anger, he couldn't form more than simple words.

Juliet whistled angrily to Garrick, getting his attention. 'You knew?!'

"Of course, I knew! I was in on it the whole time! The past summer I trained the boy in occlumency, there was no way he could get through with half the plan without this ass figuring it out." Garrick pointed a finger towards Albus angrily. "I was the one who set up your new home and travel."

"I should have known you were in on this, it reeks of you." Albus sneered.

"And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for that meddling fool and his dog." Severus spat.

Garrick rounded on Albus, "My daughter and the boy deserves a life of peace!"

Albus' voice boomed over his, " **They deserve nothing.** "

Garrick squared his shoulders and held a hand out towards Juliet, "They are of age and there is nothing you can do to keep them now."

Severus snarled, "Did you not hear the part of him keeping her hostage?" He stood up with Juliet's help. The unbreakable vow they had taken had drained him of his magic.

"I'm sure you put up a good fight, boy. I believe it's time for a duel with a true duelist." Garrick pulled his wand out and turn his attention back to Albus.

Juliet whistled again to get his attention, 'We can't leave. We're trapped here. He forced Severus to take an unbreakable vow!'

Garrick's jaw dropped. He looked from Juliet to Severus, "This is true?"

Severus nodded, "It was the only way. He was going to send her away through time again. I did what I had to do."

Juliet wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her face in his neck. Garrick gripped his wand tighter and his elemental magic coming through full force again. The air filled with static electricity and a rumble of thunder could be heard throughout the room.

Albus had the gall to smirk at Garrick, "You're upset because I outwitted you."

"Upset is not the word I would use. Livid is more like it. That's two degrees past pissed. I'm  _livid_  that you held my granddaughter hostage from him, knowing damn well he would do anything for her."

"You mean, I was using tactics I learned from you? The boy had a choice and he made it. He could have walked away." Albus countered.

"I'm tempted to kill you to free the boy, but knowing you there are several hidden traps and contingencies in place for that." Garrick spat.

Albus smiled, "Are there?"

"You're a right bastard. How did you find out? The boy was solid with his mental wall, I tested him."

Albus put his hands behind his back and rocked back on his heels, "A certain little werewolf with  _impeccable_ hearing. He came in with concerns for Miss Ollivander's safety and wellbeing."

Garrick grit his teeth and shot a glare at the young couple, "I knew I should have taken the wolf out when I had the chance. To hell with the timeline!"

'What happens now?' Juliet asked.

"Now you finish your schooling and you do as your told." Albus said firmly.

" _Watch your tone."_  Garrick growled. "What were the stipulations of this damn vow?"

"Looking for a loophole?"

"No, I'm looking for a pudding recipe." Garrick said with narrowed eyes and a sarcastic tone.

'Severus must follow his orders until the end of the war and the death of Voldemort.' Juliet explained.

"Juliet is to stay safe and out of the war. And remain at my side through life without hindrances." Severus added.

Garrick pursed his lips and looked at the fire in thought, "At least you were smart about it."

Albus clapped his hands, "Now that everyone is caught up, shall we go to bed? Or will we be having a nightcap?"

"Shut up." Garrick and Severus said in unison.

* * *

They kept their heads down the rest of the year, just wanting to get through graduation and get the hell away from Albus and his knowing smiles. The Slytherin boys noticed that their friend was distancing himself and didn't know how to cheer him up. The only thing that seemed to work was Juliet's presence and alcohol.

The Slytherins got with the other graduating seventh years in the other houses about organizing a party. Sadly, that included the Gryffindors that no one really wanted to participate, but the Hufflepuffs said exclusion wasn't fair. Just like the beginning of the year party, they planned a last hurrah in the room of requirement.

Juliet begged Severus to go and spend time with their friends before they all parted ways. As much as he just wanted to have a quiet night with her in the little nook of the library that they claimed as theirs, he knew it would make her happy. When he agreed she kissed him and let her hands wander. Worth it.

At the party, he made sure to keep Juliet by his side or on his lap. Both of their friends mixed in their little corner by the fireplace with drinks at a steady flow.

"So, Severus, what are your plans after graduation? Potion's Master at St. Mungo's?" Lucius asked while swirling his brandy.

"You look like a prat when you do that. You may be head of House Malfoy now but that doesn't mean your taste in liquor has to go down with you." Regs teased.

Severus ignored Regs, "Didn't you read the Prophet? My future has already been determined."

Juliet squeezed his thigh in both comfort and warning.

"It said that you would be given the offer. I didn't know if you were going to take it." Lucius said.

"You mean, you didn't know if I could afford it?" Severus said bitterly.

" _Demon."_  Juliet whispered to him, " _Please."_

Lucius laughed, "I never thought that. If you wanted it and didn't have the coin, I would gladly help you." He put his hand up to stop Severus from interrupting him. "Not that I see you as a charity case, but as a close friend who would do anything for you. No questions asked."

"I- "Severus paused when Juliet dug her nails into his thigh and gave him a stern look, "Thank you, Lucius. That's very honorable of you."

"For Merlin's sake Severus, let the girl breathe. She won't run away." Narcissa commented on his firm hand around her waist.

"It's not that I'm afraid she'll run away, Cissy. It's that I'm afraid a repeat of your bachelorette party will occur." Severus said smoothly.

"Shots? I'll do a round." Danny perked up.

Severus shook his head, that's not what he said at all. Soon shots were being poured and everyone was making a toast to finally completing the hell that is Hogwarts. Eventually the rowdy Gryffindors that everyone was trying to avoid got drunk well before anyone else and started to make their presence known.

"Who wants to" Sirius' sentence was interrupted by a burp," Duel?"

"Shut your gob, Potter!" Regs yelled from across the room.

"He's Sirius. I'm Potter." James pointed to himself in confusion, "That drunk, mate?"

"Nah, it's just that he isn't considered a Black anymore and he moved in with you and all. Figured it was only time before you guys announced your engagement." Regs said smoothly.

The whole room erupted in laughter, which angered the Marauders. They only liked people laughing at them if it was intended. Lily pursed her lips and huffed, "That's ridiculous, didn't they read the papers? James and I are engaged-"

"Oh, I saw it alright. By chance, when I was lining the bottom of my owl's cage with the prophet. She likes the "help wanted" section." Sophie said nonchalantly and sipped her beer.

Everyone paused at looked at her before bursting into a fit of laughter. Lucius looked at her with narrowed eyes, "Are you sure you're not a Slytherin?"

"How's it feel to be the third wheel to their relationship, Evans? Are you the bigger, bigger spoon? Or does Lupin rank above you as well?" Regs was really letting them have it. He might have drunk a bit too much, but this was probably the last time he would ever see his brother and he wasn't going to let this moment be ruined.

Severus couldn't help it, he let out a deep bellow of laughter and Juliet couldn't help but snicker into his shoulder. Which made Lily even more upset of course, causing her to stomp her foot in anger and glare at James.

"What? I didn't do nothin'." He shrugged and gave her a wary look.

"That's just it James, you didn't do anything! Go over there and defend your betrothed's honor!" she snapped.

He winced and rubbed the back of his neck, "Oh come on, Lils. It's just good fun and the party is going really well."

She crossed her arms and clicked her tongue, "That's how it's gonna be then? Bottom of the list with the Houses then? House Potter can't even finish a fight? Every time  _he_ defends her honor, his name is all over the front-page Prophet!"

"No one cares about that load of shite. The Prophet is just garbage." Sirius snorted. "Right, Moony?"

Remus was too busy staring down Severus and Juliet from across the room. He managed to save Juliet from Severus taking her away and yet here both were like nothing happened. He even sent a letter to her father about it, informing him that he was the one who saved his precious daughter. He never got a response back about it.

"What are you looking at, Mutt?" Severus sneered from across the room. He pulled Juliet closer to his side.

"I'm just wondering how you are still in school and not in Azkaban for attempted kidnapping." Remus held his head high and proud as he announced the news that no one else knew.

Everyone's eyes went wide, and they all looked at Severus and Juliet. "You need to keep your nose out of things that you have no business in. That's how you got found out about being a werewolf with daddy issues." Severus' voice was low and threatening.

Danny broke the silence of the crowd, "You were going to leave?"

Juliet looked at her close friend and waved her little ribbon in the air, 'We are of age and wanted to be left alone. We want to have a small private ceremony without the Prophet reporters smothering us. We want to live our lives in peace.'

"But school! How were you going to graduate if you left?!" Amelia spoke up. The Ravenclaw couldn't fathom the thought of not finishing school.

'We had it all planned out. Now we just have to figure out something else for our lives and trying to live a quiet life.'

Remus ignored the side conversation, "I'm surprised Lord Ollivander didn't arrest you himself, for taking his little girl from him. He knows by the way, I wrote to him."

Severus smirked and took a sip of his beer, "Oh I know. We read your letter over a glass of whiskey and laughed. It was bold of you to try and send a defamation of character letter along with an application for Juliet's hand in marriage. I'm sure you're wondering why you didn't get a response. He threw it in the fire after a good laugh."

Lucius gave a low whistle and shook his head, "For Merlin's sake man, you must have a pair on you. I mean, to send an application on a Lady who's already been spoken for? To a man who not only publicly shamed your house, but also announced to all of Europe that House Ollivander would never join with House Lupin."

Everyone's jaw dropped at that. They had nearly forgotten about that and whispers started amongst themselves.

" _What was he thinking?"_

" _Didn't he learn from Lockhart last year?"_

" _If Snape doesn't kill him, I'm sure her father will."_

Remus was fuming, "She deserves better than you. You're sick in the head, I see how you treat her. I hear how you speak to her."

With every word he spoke, Remus took a step closer to the couple. Severus handed his beer to Juliet and gently pushed her behind him.

"Better you say? You think you're the perfect suitor for her? A werewolf that can't even hide his emotions, let alone his hormones around a Lady. I warned you before,  _mutt._  You keep your nose and your paws off what is mine." Severus stepped forward to meet him halfway.

Remus' eyes glowed gold and his hands opened to show his claws, "Or else what? You'll use your dark magic against me?"

James and Sirius quickly grabbed their friend by the shoulder and tried to pull him back. They didn't want him to get kicked out of school when they were so close to graduating and possibly going to Azkaban.

"Not here, Moony. Not now, Mate." Sirius tried to calm him down.

"Remember last time? You won't get another chance, Moony." James agreed.

Severus narrowed his eyes, "You've been neglecting your potion. Wait till the Department of Magical Animal Control hears about this. They'll put a collar on you so quick- "

Remus barred his fanged teeth and pushed his friends off him, "Less talk. Show me you got more in you than a bit of wand play."

Juliet whistled for them to stop but Avery grabbed her and pulled her back before she could run in. "Hey, you park your ass right here. He's still bloody dangerous."

Yaxley look out the window, "It ain't a full moon though."

Regs shook his head, "It's three days away, he's still dangerous but not contagious."

Everyone in the room backed up to give the group in the middle space, not wanting to chance the wrath of a werewolf.

Regs took a drink of his beer and shoved it towards Juliet, "Hold my beer."

Mulciber chugged his beer and slammed it down on the table before following Regs, "'Bout time to open a can of whoop ass."

Severus shook his head but still held his straight back stance, looking down at Remus, "Your vulgar display of false bravado isn't manliness, Lupin. It shows the world how animalistic and how much of a brute you are."

Remus growled at him and stepped closer, "I challenge you for the hand of- "

Lucius spoke up, "You can't actually. The contract in place can only be broken by the parents of the betrothed or one must die. Seriously, does no one follow proper etiquette? Uncultured swine… no wonder no one wants to join Houses with you."

Lucius rolled his eyes while pouring himself another drink. He was being extremely calm in a situation such as this, knowing that his best friend would come out ahead and he was still to set the perfect example for those looking up to him as Head of House Malfoy.

Remus gave Severus an evil grin, "To the death then."

Severus returned the smile, "Really now?" He looked around the room and said loudly, "This is your Gryffindor Prefect! A dangerous werewolf threatening a fellow student because he feels entitled to a Lady's hand. This is who you look up to?"

Everyone started to murmur and nod their heads in agreement, " _He's a bad sort, isn't he?"_

Remus leaned closer to him and whispered, " _Once I kill you, I'll mark her as mine. I know just how rough she likes it. Hand around her neck and teeth on her skin."_

Severus responded with his fist hitting Remus in the jaw. The other boy didn't have a chance to block the sudden strike to his face and sent him backwards stumbling. When he looked up, Severus had shrugged off his coat and pushed his sleeved up.

The whole room gasped, " _Lord Prince is mark free!"_

Remus looked shocked as well, but it didn't stop him from swiping his clawed hand at Severus who ducked it easily. His fist came through his open arms and hit Remus hard in the gut and quickly delivered another two punches.

Everyone started yelling and cheering them on. Remus was furious, but his anger clouded his mind that was already fighting with his inner wolf. Their friends stood back and monitored the fight to make sure things went straight forward.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Remus lunged at Severus, but he sidestepped and grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground hard.

Severus jumped on top of Remus and pinned his arms down his with knees, swinging his fists down raging succession with hate in his eyes. "My daddy hits harder than you, whelp. She's mine and I won't tell you again!"

Remus couldn't block the hits. His head shot back and blood shot out with every hit he got to the face. Severus made no motion to stop or slow down. His anger fueled by the knowledge of their past war and knowing that his free life with Juliet was ruined by Remus. Severus wanted him dead and when Remus spoke of Juliet in a sexual manner he lost his mind.

" **YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!"**  Severus roared.


	68. Chapter 68

**Happy new year! I'm 6 and a half months pregnant and craving sour skittles and hot chocolate. And noodles and burgers. And popeyes chicken. Someone send food.**

**Anyway... just closed on our new house Saturday and will soon be getting permits and building started before its delivered. Getting a mobile home put on my father in laws property. Yay to saving $700/m in rent. The Great Danes will have half an acre of land to run around on instead of our tiny apartment yard.**

**Anyway... rufus the roomba died and I've been trying to use my mechanical skills to revive him. So far nothing. I think the dogs somehow did something to kill him.**

**Onwards to the story. That pesky werewolf.**

**Reviews make me write faster.**

**Seriously, send food.**

* * *

Severus couldn't hear people screaming or yelling at him to stop. His friends just pushed the other Marauders back to make sure that Severus dealt the deserved punishment. Severus didn't hear Juliet's whistles for him either. Nothing but the rush of blood pounding in his head and the sounds of his fists colliding with Remus' face.

Suddenly he was pulled back by a force that was far greater than himself. He was magically torn away from Remus and suspended in the air with his arms pulled behind him. Not as if he were cuffed, but held up by his elbows with his legs pulled back by their ankles as if he was kneeling. He was suspended in the air by five feet, he looked down through his curtained hair at Remus who was rolling over to spit up blood.

" **SILENCE!** "

Everyone gasped and began clearing the way for their Headmaster and Deputy Head Mistress.

"What happened here?" Albus looked around with a firm stare.

"Snape attacked Remus!" James pointed a finger up at Severus who sneered at him.

"Thestral shite! Lupin started it!" Mulciber pushed James hard.

"Silence!" McGonagall scolded, looking at them with a disapproved look over her glasses. "Underage drinking? Hosting a fight club of sorts?"

"Ma'am, we're all of age here. I checked. It's my duty as Head Boy after all." Lucius stepped forward and made her turn to look at him.

Regs took the distraction as an opportunity to take three steps back and disappeared into the crowd and get closer to the door. People in the crowd called out what happened, which surprised Severus that they were on his side.

" _Lupin threatened Ollivander and Snape!"_

" _Lupin disrespected House Prince!"_

" _He challenged Lord Prince for Lady Ollivander's hand!"_

"One hundred points from every house! Another fifty if you don't return to your dorms right now!" McGonagall's voice called out and she pointed towards the door.

Everyone rushed out the door as fast as they could before anymore points were deducted. The Deputy Headmistress turned to see Juliet standing next to Severus' floating body. "Miss Ollivander, that doesn't exclude you."

Severus looked down to her and nodded, but Albus put a hand up. "I got this, Minerva. Get the rest of the children to their dorms."

Once the room was cleared and Remus was able to stand on his own without struggle Albus cleared his throat. "You were both warned about your behaviors before and were told to stay away from each other."

Remus still had the feral look in his eye as he spat out a tooth that had been knocked out, "This wouldn't have happened if he had given up my mate."

With a loud roar and extended claws, Remus took a lung at Severus who was still suspended above the ground. Albus quickly waved his hand to suspend Remus the same way he had Severus. Not before Juliet stepped in front of him and hit him with a hard right hook.

His head shot to the side and another tooth flew out with a long spray of blood and saliva. Juliet was winding up for another punch but Albus stepped forward and grabbed her by the elbow. "Please don't make me restrain you as well."

Severus' deep voice called to her in a tone that made her stand down. " _Angel._ "

She looked up at him and tore herself from Albus' grip, moving closer to his floating self and hugging one of his knees. Juliet looked at Albus with a death glare. 'You were supposed to watch after him. He's been neglecting his potion.'

Remus seemed to finally have some sense knocked into him. "No I'm not."

Albus held his hand out and the two bloody teeth that had been knocked out of his mouth floated into his open palm. He held them both up and looked at them closely. They were his long sharp fangs that were covered in blood. "I see."

Severus' jaw was clenched tightly to keep himself from saying anything. He knew the pecking order of things when it came to him and any of the Marauders. It would be far worse now that Albus had him in an unbreakable vow.

'I see?! That's all the great wisdom you will spew from your mouth?! Take him to the Ministry!' Juliet signed angrily.

Albus put the teeth in his pocket and sighed, "I can't. He's too important in the upcoming war. You know that. Which is why you should have left well enough alone." He pointed at Severus.

Remus looked to Albus with a confused face, "War?"

His question remained unanswered.

Severus could bite his tongue no longer, "Well enough alone?! You should have kept your mutt on a tighter leash! I kept his attention and his rage towards me to save those people- you should be thanking me!"

"I'm not dangerous!" Remus defended.

Albus ignored him and rounded on Severus instead, "You had specific orders to keep your head down and wait for my orders! Do you have any idea what kind of publicity chaos this could create?! What will happen when Voldemort catches wind of a young werewolf with a teenage angst and a thirst for a pretty girl? He will swoop in and recruit him or have Greyback call pack order!"

"Wait- what?" Remus tried to struggle against the magical bonds, "I will never join that prat and I don't have teenage angst!"

"Shut up!" Severus snapped.

"Oh he won't remember anything of this conversation. Nothing after I walked into the room." Albus waved his hand across Remus' face and his head suddenly fell forward on his chest with his eyes closed.

'So that's what we're doing now then? Unbreakable vows and altering memories?' Juliet crossed her arms.

"I do what I have to. Even cleaning up the multitude of messes that you two create! I can't turn around without one of you stirring things up or trying to break the timeline!" Albus shot back.

Severus curled his lip, "And what of your end of the deal? To keep her safe and out of the war? Lupin has had his sights on her for over a year and has shown nothing but his lack of trust and obedience. I'm cleaning up your mess too, old man."

"The deal only works on things we have the ability to control. I felt the burning of the vow when you two started your altercation. Hence why I showed up when I did. If you had killed him then it would have created a war you'd yet to see from his friends. Targeting her as well as yourself." Albus explained calmly.

"Altercation? More like an arse whooping."

Albus rolled his eyes, "Yes, we get it. You've got the biggest wand. Get over yourself. Now you," Albus pointed to Juliet, "should have known better."

She looked shocked, putting a hand to her chest and mouthing, 'Me?'

Albus was pacing now, "You know how delicate the timeline is and how important Remus is to Harry in the coming years. We need him to guide Harry during a very difficult time."

"You leave her out of this!"

'Oh like I go around wanting to be hunted by a werewolf? Stalked by someone who tries to kill my fiancé?'

"You should have better control of him! You are the only one who can make him see reason without force." Albus pointed to Severus. "You job is to protect the timeline and inform me of any changes. Also, to keep him in line!"

"Yes,  _I'm_  the uncontrollable beast. Not the snoozing werewolf floating behind you." Severus rolled his eyes.

Albus scowled but waved his hand at Severus who fell to his knees hard on the floor. "Return to your dorms. I'll see him to the hospital wing to restore his face."

Severus got to his feet with Juliet's help. He refused to show the pain he was feeling in his knees from hitting the hard stone floor, "And see to it that he takes his potion. Every time."

* * *

Of course Remus didn't take his potion. His inner wolf had control now and it was driven by the scent of Juliet and wanting her as his mate. He had tricked the Mediwitch in the hospital wing that he took his potion when he really spit it out in a bed pan he hid. They kept him in the hospital wing for three days, telling him that he got in a fight with Severus. They couldn't alter that memory since the entire seventh year class witnessed it. The only thing they could alter was what happened afterwards. They told him that Severus knocked him out, which embarrassed him of course. As soon as he was out of the hospital wing he made beeline for Gryffindor tower.

When he entered his friends were sitting in a corner talking amongst themselves. Well, it was more like Lily was going off on James again for something he did or didn't do.

"See? There he is again! Front page of the paper, James." Lily threw the Daily Prophet on the chess board between him and Peter.

"So what?" James shrugged and scooted the paper off to take his turn.

She grabbed it and waved it in front of his face, "This is where you should be! Not him!"

Peter had elbow leaning on the table with his chin in his hand. He rolled his eyes and huffed, "You mean you, right?"

Her head snapped to him, "What did you say?"

He sat up straight and looked away, "Nothin'."

James scowled at her, "Why do you care so much anyway? I thought you hated him. Yet, you never stop talking about him. All these years you complained about how he never left you alone and how much of a lose he was."

Sirius was sitting on the bench near the window behind James, "Yeah. The way you've been goin' on about him, I reckon you got a thing for Snivellus."

"That's ridiculous!" Lily gripped the paper.

Remus walked up behind her, "She's jealous is what she is. It could have been her hooking up with him and all over the papers. Engaged to the youngest Potions Master and Head of the nearly extinct House Prince."

James' face turned red and his fists balled up, "What the hell, Lils?"

"I never said that!" She yelled back.

"But you never denied it." Sirius called out in a sing song voice.

Peter was usually the quiet one of the group who just followed along, but every once in a while he said things that caught their attention. "Snape didn't become relevant until Ollivander came along. He was a no body until she showed up and he was instantly famous. He was a greasy haired prick before and he will always be one. People are only seeing her as this celebrity figurehead and nothing that she or he can ever be wrong."

Everyone turned to look at the smaller boy with shocked faces.

"Well… he ain't wrong." Sirius shrugged.

Lily huffed, "That's the only reason why everyone wants to be with her."

James shook his head, "It's not so much being a celebrity or famous. Her bloodline is powerful, they are confirmed to descend from Merlin himself. Her Father is the highest ranked duelist in Europe and most powerful wizard in elemental magic. They're all trained at a young age to learn the cores of wands and know the ins and outs of all things magical and are far superior to other Houses. That's why they are known as the Head of the Sacred 28. You join houses with an Ollivander and you are set for life."

"And she's got some huge knockers." Sirius added.

"That too." James agreed and high fived his best friend.

Lily punched James hard in the bicep, making him wince and yelp. "So you want her instead?!"

James rubbed his arm, "Never said that…"

Peter stood up and walked towards Lily, "Purebloods don't think like that, Lily. We are trained from a young age to carry on our lines in the purest form. What to look for and what to stay away from. Even if she looked like Sirius with a pair of knockers, everyone would be chasing after her."

Lily huffed and put her hands on her hips, "So you were trained to stay away from girly like me."

James moved closer to her, pulling her into a hug, "But it didn't stop me did it?"

Remus grunted under his breath to Sirius, "No, more like lack of options."

"None of this would have happened if she never came to this school!" Lily whined. "None of us would have gotten expelled and fined, Remus wouldn't have been found out as a werewolf and  _we_  would have been in the front of the papers!"

Peter rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, had nothing to do with out own actions or anything…"

Everyone ignored him. Sirius shrugged, "Yeah, well there ain't nothing we can do about it now can we?"

Remus was waiting for one of them to say something like that, because ever since his wolf had locked on to Juliet as his mate it was all he could think about. "Actually there is."

Lily pushed James aside and focused on Remus, "Spit it out."

"Well… the full moon is tonight. Ollivander wouldn't be so high and might and sought after if she became a werewolf would she?" Remus' eyes glowed gold and he licked his lips.

James' brows shot up, "You mean like… turn her? Mate, that's… illegal and immoral and- and… Pads help me out here."

"Imaginative and ingenious!" Sirius clapped his hands together.

"That's not where I was going with this. Moony when the Ministry finds out-  _when_  not if- they would lock you away so fast… You said it yourself that you wouldn't wish that curse on anyone else." James ran a hand through his hair.

Sirius looked at Remus and tilted his head, "Your wolf still wants her huh?"

Lily looked back and forth at both of them, "What wolf?"

"My inner wolf chose Juliet as his mate and wolves mate for life. She's still a virgin and her scent drives me crazy. It's like she's just flaunting it in front of me all the time!" Remus rubbed his face with his hands.

Sirius started feeding into the idea, "She's taunting you, Moony. Teasing you and I bet she wants you just as much as you want her."

Peter rolled his eyes, "I highly doubt that."

Lily started to nod her head, "He's got a point. As soon as she's found to be a werewolf she would be blacklisted everywhere just like they did to us. Then not even Sev would want her and he'll go back to being a no body without me- I mean her."

James groaned and shook his head again, "This is a really bad idea. You're on your potion ain't you? You can't even infect her when you're on it, right?"

Remus gave him an evil grin, "I might have forgotten to take it for the last few months."

Peter looked at James and sarcastically said, "I always wanted to go to Azkaban."

* * *

 


	69. Chapter 69

**its nearly 3 am. But here I am posting again. Sooooo**

**Justice. Dang that Remus. Rawr.**

* * *

James felt like he was being torn apart inside. He wanted to stay loyal to his friends but he knew what they were doing was wrong. Sure, he hated Juliet because of everything that she put him through and he hated Severus ever more. Yet, Peter was right for once. Everything they got was because of their own actions.

Not only that, he still owed Severus a life debt and this would be one of those qualifying situations that called for it. Perhaps that's why he was feeling so guilty. He refused to be a part of their plan but could he live with himself if he said nothing?

Remus had put himself right in the middle of the happy couples plans because he thought that he was in the right. Now it's escalated to the point that the only way to save her was to turn her into a werewolf? This had stupid written all over it and James had to do something.

His internal battle came down to the final hour. He knew that Remus was already in the Shrieking Shack and he knew that his friends had started to lure her down there. Was there time to make this right? He had to do something.

James wasn't going to go as far as rat his friends and fiancé out to a teacher, but he was going to right to the Severus. He ran as fast as he could down the stairs from Gryffindor tower. He had seen Severus on the map before his friends took it. He was in the potions lab after hours in the dungeons.

He didn't bother knocking when he arrived, he just barged in and startled Severus to the point where he dropped a beaker and it smashed on the floor between his feet.

Severus drew his wand immediately, cursing at the fact that James had gotten the drop on him. If he had hearing in both ears then that might not have happened. "What the bloody hell do you want, Potter?"

James put his hands up to show that he was unarmed, "I came to warn you."

"Get out. I refuse to hide you in the dungeons while you are caught sneaking to the kitchens." Severus pointed from him to the door.

"They have Ollivander." James blurted and pointed towards the door as well.

Severus paused and the muscle in his jaw tightened, "I won't play your games Potter."

"Just fucking listen to me. I owe you a life debt and I'm paying it back."

"You can't fool a life debt, it's magic."

James growled in frustration, "I  _KNOW_ that! Look, I know I'm a prat-"

"Let the record be set."

"but I'm not a bad guy. Remus- he and them… ugh come on Prongs." James ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think of where to start. "Remus had gone off the fucking rails. He's got the others convinced that she belongs to his wolf and they thing that if he turned her then it will solve all their stupid problems."

Severus felt a chill run down his spine, "Spit it out."

"They took her to the Shrieking Shack because Remus has been avoiding his potions and he's gonna turn her into a werewolf."

Severus couldn't take the chance that he was lying. "Why didn't you start with that?! Bloody imbecile!"

He rushed out the door and ran as fast as he could towards the main doors leading out of the castle. He heard James call out to him, "The fastest way is through the Whomping Willow! Hit the knot at the bottom of the tree and slide down the tunnel!"

He forgot about that detail. Juliet had told him about it when she explained how Remus was getting around the school to transform. When he jumped down the front steps he ran as fast as he could, almost losing his footing on the damp grass twice. When he got close enough, he cast a reducto at the knot of the Willow and dove down feet first as if he were sliding into home plate.

He ran down the tunnel with his wand lighting the way. He could hear people talking at the end of the tunnel and sent a Expelliarmus blindly in the dark. When he heard a yelp and a thud he knew he hit someone.

Sirius lay motionless underneath the trap door but he was alone. Severus stepped over him and pushed the trap door up to open. Pointing his wand up for any movements before he lifted himself up. It was quiet and dark in the Shack. It smelled like wet dog and dust. He crept along to the larger room looking for Juliet.

When she saw him she whistled for him softly, hoping he heard her and not the werewolf stalking around upstairs. Severus turned to her and pointed his wand light. He lowered his wand and quickly made his way to her.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?!" he scolded her.

With wide eyes she pointed over his shoulder. He turned and pushed her back against the corner she was hiding in. Remus' wolf form was crouched in attack position in the center of the room, his teeth bare and growling. He licked his lips several times, smelling and tasting Juliet in the air and his competition for his mate blocking the path to her.

Severus took a dueling stance and raised his wand. He sent several spells at the werewolf in hopes to drive him away. None of them seemed too effective since Remus swiped at him twice. Severus's fire burned bright in his fists as he sent multiple flames towards him.

It caused Remus to step back and howl. All it seemed to do was anger the beast. He reared back and pounced towards Severus who had already grabbed Juliet and dove out of the way. Remus was quick to move towards the trap door and block their way out.

Juliet pulled out her wand and started firing every spell that she knew alongside Severus. His trusty Sectumsempra did cause some damage but not enough to deter the wolf. His fire kept building and building, soon it encircled them both but the wolf still advanced.

Severus cried out in pain when Remus' claws sunk into his shoulder, which caused him to drop his wand. He fell to his knees under the weight of the beast but refused to stop fighting. Remus howled in pain as he burned the hair and skin on his arm and let go.

She whistled loudly in fear. Remus had used that as a distraction and he grabbed her with his free arm. Both of his claws were on either of her shoulder as he pinned her to the floor. His jaws opened wide and saliva dripping out and falling on her.

" **NO!** "

Severus pushed off the floor with his hands and knees and rushed Remus, taking the chance to tackle the monster and give Juliet a chance to escape. "Run!"

His wand was forgotten on the floor across the room so he had to improvise and use his fists. It was not effective at all but it was the only thing he could do. Remus' snapping jaws came dangerously close to getting Severus. He felt the rage and fire build and build, no longer trying to keep it in check like he usually did.

There was a voice in the back of his head that was telling him what to do. ' _LET GO. BURN IT. BURN IT ALL'_

Severus focused all of his strength and magic into his fire, clenching his eyes shut and screaming as he tried to dig his fingers into Remus' eyes. He was sure he was being killed because he felt his bones snapping with immense pressure and pain.

He could hear Remus yelp and whine the more bones snapped and shifted. Remus fought to escape his grip and backed up from him. When he opened his eyes he was nearly the same height as the vaulted ceiling in the living room. He looked down at Remus and roared.

Juliet backed up as much as she could as she watched Severus convulse. He was transforming into something else. Something much larger than Remus. She worried that he had been bitten and was already turning, but his form got a lot bigger than a werewolf.

Severus had changed into a large black Dragon with spiked skin and wings. He had four thick legs and a long neck attached to a wide head that was crowned with spikes. He forced his Animagus form out in a time of life or death. It wasn't unheard of, it was just uncommon.

Severus' heavy spiked tail whipped around the room and took out one of the exterior walls of the Shack. Remus took the opportunity to run towards the opening but Severus was on him quickly. His own inner beast taking over and grabbing the wolf that dare hurt and claim his mate.

His opened his mouth to roar and a large burst of flames came out, hitting Remus and the surrounding furniture. The fire quickly spread to the drapes and carpet. Remus got up, shook it off and tried to jump at Severus. His claws and teeth couldn't penetrate his thick hide but he was much faster than him.

Severus thrashed around, trying to knock off the wolf that was climbing all over him. He bashed into a bunch of walls and took out the brick fireplace. The whole Shack shifted and the large beams supporting the ceiling started to give way.

Juliet whistled for Severus. She was trapped in a corner behind one of the large beams and the fire was getting closer. He didn't hear her. Severus finally grabbed Remus and pinned him to the ground with his large clawed foot. Baring his teeth at him and opened his jaws to devour him.

" **ENOUGH!"**

Severus' head shot up and he roared at Albus before turning back to Remus. He was struggling under the weight of a dragon pinning him down, yelping and nipping at whatever he would reach. Severus let go of Remus and reared back in pain, knocking his back against the main part of the Shack.

Juliet rushed out from her hiding spot towards Severus. Remus took his chances and ran off towards the forest and jumped one of the shorter wooden fences. Severus continued to cry out in pain as he body transformed back into his normal form.

His left hand reached for his neck and the other arm was stuck out at his side. Albus was slowly walking towards him with his hand balled up in a fist and outstretched towards him. "I don't want to enforce the vow but you give me no choice."

'STOP IT!' Juliet mouthed to him and tried to help Severus.

He lowered his hand and the burning sensation and gold flare on his skin stopped. Severus fell to a knee and was breathing heavy. Juliet was at his side and trying to help and comfort him. Severus looked up through curtained hair and spat at Albus, "You couldn't stop him from killing her, yet you stop me from killing him. Your favoritism has gone too far."

"I came as soon as I could."

"Not good enough. You were going to let her die and die yourself. How the hell hasn't this damn vow broken by now? You just keep letting anyone and everyone get in the way of us." Severus snapped.

The sounds of the rest of the Shack collapsing could be heard around them. "I came as soon as I felt the burning. I didn't know-"

"You came when it was convenient for you. Knowing that I would once again be here to handle things." Severus stood up finally with Juliet's help. "How could you not know? You seem to know everything else. Like what's best for everyone and what we are supposed to do. The one person I told you to keep away from her and you couldn't fucking do that."

"You're naked." Albus pointed out.

Severus didn't need to look down to know, "Sorry, clothes don't make it through an Animagus shift. Surely that was something else you knew."

Albus put his hands behind his back, "You failed to tell me you were an unregistered Animagus."

Juliet answered for him, 'He didn't know. This was the first time.'

"Ah… at your hour of need then." Albus said in thought.

Severus grit is teeth and held his hand out for his wand that she returned to him. He took her cloak that she offered and transfigured it to fit him. "Yes, once again I save the day because you weren't there. Are you trying to kill us all?"

"Save the day? Because of you there's a werewolf running around the forest that will either circle to the school grounds or Hogsmeade."

"Better get to it then." Severus said over his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around Juliet and started walking back to the castle the long way. "Oh, and Black is knocked out under the trap door. Might want to get him before the fire does."


	70. Chapter 70

**Holy crap 70 chapters. Almost to the halfway point of this story. Almost 200k words. I'm fucking exhausted. But it's worth it.**

**This chapter is graduation and an offer.**

**Next chapter wedding and a life changing decision.**

* * *

Juliet wanted to take Severus down up to the infirmary but he refused. He had the necessary potions to tend to his wounds downs in his lab. He was more than willing to play her patient for the night.

"What were you doing there with him?" He asked her as she cleaned his wounds.

Juliet sighed before putting down the gauze and answered him, 'I was trying to save you. They told me that you went down there to finish the fight with Remus.'

"They lied to you."

'Yes, I know that now. But I couldn't take the chance that they weren't.' Juliet put her head down and looked away. She knew that he was upset with her and was waiting for the blow up. 'I would do anything for you, Severus.'

He brought a hand up to lift her chin, silently asking her to look at him. "My Juliet… you know that I am my own savior."

'I'm sorry.'

"Don't be sorry, because I would do anything and everything for you. Once Potter told me what was going on… I felt as if part of me was missing. Like I was never going to be happy again." Severus was surprisingly calm about this. As if him finally releasing his inner beast and rage evened him out a bit. Juliet wouldn't hold her breath, he was always going to have a temper.

'But then you found me.' She kissed him softy. 'And turned into a huge Dragon!'

He chuckled at her using her hands to emphasize his size. "Yes, although that was not intentional."

Juliet pulled away from him suddenly and clutched her head in pain. Flashes of scenes playing in her head and her memories changing. Severus spun around and rushed to the medical cabinet on the wall. He grabbed the headache relief potion and pain potion. He rushed back to her while cursing the name Dumbledore for the hundredth time that night. He would look into creating something that would help all her symptoms, he knew the potions in his hands only did so much.

He pressed the vials to her lips and helped her drink them. "Tell me what happened. Did Lupin die? Please tell me he's dead."

Julie peeked her eye at him and scowled, 'Really?'

"That's not a no…" he smirked.

She calmed her breathing and was able to take her hands away from her temples long enough to tell him. 'Remus was caught in Hogsmeade by Aurors and Magical Animal Control. Dumbledore arrested. Expelled from school. Fired from Hogwarts.'

Severus slowly nodded his head, "Not death… but I'll take it."

'Severus!' she slapped his bare shoulder.

* * *

Juliet's premonitions came true the morning after. Everyone at the breakfast table was going crazy over the front page headlines. The Marauders were sitting at the table with their heads down. One of their members was missing and everyone kept giving them angry stares.

' **HOGWARTS WEREWOLF ATTACKS HOGSMEADE'**

' **LUPIN STRIKES AGAIN'**

' **DUMBLEDORE WEREWOLF ADVOCATE OR ZOOKEEPER?'**

' **HEADMASTER CANNED, HOGWARTS SAFE ONCE MORE'**

Remus had been spotted in Hogsmeade by an off duty Aurora on his way home from the pub. Backup was called and he was corned in an alley with magical restraints. They managed to get him into a cage until sunrise and from there he was carted off to Azkaban, where they would hold him until their investigation was done and a court date set.

Albus showed up trying to advise them that it was a terrible accident that the Shrieking Shack's structural integrity failed. What he couldn't cover up was why or how Remus was rabid and off his potion. They booked him and took him for questioning. It was immediately enforced that he was removed from his role as Headmaster. Even thought Garrick wasn't in place as Chief Warlock, the council was still acting off of his last orders.

The last court hearing for Remus, Garrick advised that this was the last chance that Albus had to keep his spot at Hogwarts. The council reached out to Garrick for the final okay before making the call. He had never been happier to be woken up at three in the morning in is life. He wasn't told about Juliet almost being a victim but he was ecstatic to get back at Albus for everything he had put him through. Minerva was immediately promoted to Headmistress and she took no time into getting things in order. Graduation was to continue as planned without Remus at the end of the week.

Severus didn't think his mother would ever be at his graduation. Since he got his Hogwarts letter he had envisioned it being anticlimactic and walking home from the train station. Eileen was there with her arm firmly wrapped around Jiggers' with a huge smile on her face. She told him that she was proud of him, something he never expected to hear from her either. Once the ceremony was over, the reporters were waiting out on the front steps.

"Wow, reporters never come to Hogwarts for graduations." Alice said to Lily and Mary.

"Prolly cuz Dumbledore isn't here." Mary suggested.

Lily grabbed James' arm and pulled him forward towards the cameras, "Come on! Let's make the front page!"

The reporters took some pictures and Lily was smiling and posing for all of them. James just looked around awkwardly, trying to avoid looking at the camera. Sirius was right at his side trying to tell him a joke.

"Miss- yeah you!" One of them called out to her.

She smiled brightly, "Miss Evans, soon to be Mrs. Potter."

"Yea, Miss Porter- can you scooch over? You're in the way!"

She looked behind her and her jaw dropped, she was suddenly filled with rage. They were trying to take pictures of Juliet and Severus walking out the front doors. "I can't believe this!"

A few of the reporters rush past Lily and James, one of them hitting her as they pushed her aside. "Lord Prince! Lady Ollivander!"

They surrounded Juliet, Severus and their parents. All calling out for information on their future plans.

" _Tell us when the wedding will be!"_

" _When can we expect the Prince family to settle down?!"_

" _Has Lord Prince become a Potions Master?!"_

Master Jiggers actually put his finger up and reached into his cloak, "Ah- hold on! I nearly forgot about that!"

He turned to Severus and held out a thick scroll in front of himself and read out loud, "I, Master Johan Jiggers, herby award Severus Snape of House Prince his Potions Mastery. As his Potions Master, I can attest that he herein as completed all training and exams."

He rolled up the official scroll after he held the tip of his wand to it and gave it to Severus. The cameras went off as they shook hands and bowed to each other. "Thank you, Master Jiggers."

"Now, let's get out of here and talk business then. Shall we?"

* * *

Garrick had Robbie serve dinner at their house to give everyone more privacy. The last thing he wanted was for reporters to bother them during their meal. When they were around the table, Jiggers started discussing his offer to Severus.

"Will you leave the boy alone? Give him a day off, Jiggers. Let him enjoy the night in freedom." Garrick rolled his eyes.

"He's right Johan, you two can discuss business tomorrow." Eileen said and patted him on the arm affectionately.

" _Johan?_ " Severus was caught off guard.

"Yes, we've gotten rather close since you've been at school." Eileen blushed.

Juliet put her hand on Severus' thigh and squeezed slightly before putting her hands up to sign, 'I think you make a lovely couple.'

"Don't think that just because your mother and I are seeing each other means that I'm gonna treat you any differently." Jiggers pointed at him with his fork.

"He means that he isn't going to cut you a better deal." Garrick rolled his eyes again.

"I don't want special treatment." Severus said through grit teeth.

Jiggers swallowed his food and nodded, "Damn right. Now, I want to get rid of Slughorn completely. I want you to buy him out and take over as 50/50 partners. I handle the larger commercial contracts and you handle the smaller orders and run the shop. After overhead is paid we split the profits."

Severus arched a brow, "Is your current partner aware of this?"

"Nope. But Horace could never turn down a large sum of money and an opportunity to retire."

"At what price?"

"Just on hundred thousand galleons." Jiggers said plainly and shoved another bite of steak in his mouth.

Severus managed to keep him calm but inside he was panicking, "Is that all?"

"So how about it?"

"I will have to decline, Sir. I have other job offers that will not put a dent in my coin purse." Severus shook his head.

"You going to work at St. Mungo's following someone else's orders and losing out on the freedom to experiment?" Jiggers said sarcastically.

"The Ministry, actually. Creating the Wolfsbane potion put a foot in the door for me and being the youngest potions master in the world has helped." Severus smirked.

"So you can't afford it then." Jiggers called him out.

Garrick slammed his hand on the table, "Jiggers. You will not insult my future son-in-law in my house."

"It's alright, sir." Severus put a hand up to stop him. "It's the fact that I need to think about our future. I do have the coin, but it will be used to pay for our wedding and establish a household. After that is settled, I may take you up on your offer."

Garrick gave Severus a look of pride, "I'm glad that you are thinking responsibly, but the father of the bride always pays for the wedding."

"And you can live in the shop until you start making a profit." Jiggers added.

"Then what? I can't kick my mother out of her home, and I wouldn't expect her to share her home with two newlyweds."

"Actually… I haven't lived in the shop for quite some time now." Eileen said and leaned her head on Jiggers' shoulder.

"Oh what the fuck mum?!" Severus almost got to his feet if it weren't for Juliet's firm hand on his shoulder.

'Language!' Juliet signed after whistling loudly to get his attention.

"You've had so much going on, I didn't want to bother you with little news."

"Little news?" Severus snapped. Juliet dug her nails into his shoulder and mouthed for him to stop. "Fine. Fine. I get it. If… he makes you happy."

"So you'll take me up on my offer then?" Jiggers cut in.

Severus shook his head, "I cannot make that decision now without first consulting with my wife to be."

"You're the head of the household. You have the right to make the decision." Garrick said and gave him a look out of the corner of his eye.

"This isn't a decision that affects just my future, but hers." Severus grabbed Juliet's hand and squeezed it. "I want nothing but the best for her and where she shares her home with me factors into that. Happy wife, happy life and all that."

"Good answer." Garrick laughed. This was a test and Severus passed. "Jiggers, give the boy a week. He will give you an answer then. In the mean time, pass the wine."


	71. Chapter 71

**this chapter made me laugh so hard while writing it. Thanks to Faded Galaxia (even tho she cheats at words with friends), the grand disciple and pilots mistress for helping me with this chapter. Needed some outside point of view.**

**I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.**

**Next chapter is up in the air right now. My direction will go based off your reviews.**

* * *

Severus let Juliet had complete control over the wedding plans. After witnessing what monsters brides to be could be from the Malfoy wedding, he knew it was better left to her. It wasn't his coin being spent after all. His only requests were that it was private and that there were no peacocks. Juliet laughed at his comments but his face never cracked a smile, he was serious.

Juliet had chosen Narcissa and Danny to be her brides maids while Severus chose Lucius and Regs to be his grooms men. Severus refused to have a bachelor party or allow Juliet to have a party with her friends but he lost that argument, more like everyone ignored him.

Regs had taken the guys to a bar in high end Diagon Alley where he had paid for VIP service with an open bar. Severus was trying to unwind but couldn't stop thinking about Juliet and where she was.

"Will you stop already? They're fine." Lucius said as he poured him another drink.

"I don't care about your women do, I care about what they make mine do."

"Can you at least let us have a good time then? Just sit there and sulk like you usually do." McNair said as he winked at their waitress.

Severus saw the exchange, "What happened to you and what's her name? The Prewitt girl."

Regs nearly spit his drink out, "Oh shit that's right. Man… I am so sorry. I saw news of her marriage and announcement of their first born in the paper."

"What? How the hell did I miss that?" Severus was shocked.

McNair pursed his lips and nodded his head sadly, "Yeah, she uh… used me, I guess. To get back at the Weasley. Didn't even say bye or nothin', just walked on past me like it was nothing at work one day and went up and kissed him."

They all groaned and Yaxley cursed, "Fuck her then. We can find you a new girl. One that ain't gonna break your heart."

"Yeah, that's why I joined your fancy little club. My father was pushing me to do it, but after Molly… I just, I don't know thought it was the best thing to do to get my mind off shit, ya know?" He rolled up his sleeve, after check that no one was looking and showed them his new Dark Mark.

"Hey brother! Welcome to the club!" Regs patted him on the back.

Severus felt his gut drop, another one of his friends had turned to the dark side like that muggle movie he saw when he was younger. One by one they were going down the path that was either going to get them killed or imprisoned, from what Juliet told him.

* * *

Danny took charge of Juliet's Bachelorette party, and led the group of girls to an exclusive magical dance club in the heart of muggle London. It was going well for a quiet night of dancing and drinking with each other. Until Lily and her friends showed up later that night for a party of their own. Juliet and her friends ignored the other girls and continued to have a good time of their own.

Alice had overheard Juliet's friends talk in the bathroom about this being her Bachelorette party for her wedding in a few days. Thus prompting her to tell Lily about it and the redhead to get extremely drunk. How dare Juliet have her wedding on the same day as her! With her newfound liquid courage, Lily decided that she had enough of Little Miss Unicorn Princess and was going to handle her once and for all.

Juliet was standing near the bar with Danny and Mack while Narcissa and Amelia were somewhere on the dancefloor. She felt a tap on her shoulder and when she turned round she was roughly shoved in the chest.

"I've had 'nuff of yo shit  _Princess._ " Lily slurred as she pointed a finger at Juliet.

"OI! Watch who you're messin' with, girlie!" Mack's Irish accent came out thick when she drank.

"No, fuck that. I'm tired of her stealing my spotlight!"

"What spotlight? You're in a  _nightclub_ , dumbass." Danny shook her fist at her.

Juliet had straightened up and stood as tall as she could, but Lily was still taller. She had always been the shortest in class. She wasn't going to back down from Lily. 'Back off!' Well, she didn't sign it. More like used her middle finger to speak for her.

"You steal Sev from me, you steal my popularity, you steal MY WEDDING DATE!" Lily screeched the last part and moved to push Juliet again.

Juliet beat her to it and pushed her back, 'STOLE him from you?! Bitch, please. Severus never wanted you! As for MY wedding date, you can kiss my Unicorn Arse!'

Danny stood next to Juliet as she signed and relayed all the information for her as her translator since Lily and her friends didn't understand sign language. Danny added a few of her own choice words in there as well.

"It's my special day and I demand you to change your wedding date!"

'Bitch, can you even wear white at the wedding?!' Juliet had enough of this girl who had given her so much trouble over the years. She didn't care if she would be the mother of the boy who would save them all from the Dark Lord, she was about to kick her ass.

Everyone around them, including a few patrons who were now watching the exchange either gasped or catcalled. Lily shoved the sleeves of her blouse up and balled her fists, "That's it! I challenge you-"

Before she could finish speaking, Juliet had thrown a right cross and hit Lily square in the jaw. She took a boxers stance and bounced on the balls of her feet. Lily's friends Alice and Mary caught her from hitting the ground.

Mack threw up her hands in victory and whooped, "TALK SHIT- GET HIT!"

'I'll save you the embarrassment of not knowing the wizarding customs of a duel. I can get down and dirty like a muggle too, bitch.' Juliet called her out.

Danny was way too hyped about hat was going on and added, "She said that she's gonna hit you with so many rights, you'll be begging her for a left!"

Lily and her friends charged forward with screeching battle cries and an all out brawl happened. They didn't notice the flashing camera's going off as they fought. Juliet had pinned Lily to the ground and was intent on choking her when Mack grabbed her under each arm and pulled her off.

"The boys in blue are here- time to go!" Mack yelled and dragged Juliet and Danny out roughly by their arms. Narcissa and Amelia were waiting for them by the back door with their coats and purses.

* * *

"How was your night out?" Severus asked Juliet the next morning over breakfast at Garrick's house.

Juliet gave a small shrug and bit into her toast, 'You know, quiet and small.'

Severus and Garrick looked at each other, then to Juliet. "Really? You call this quiet and small?"

He set the Daily Prophet down in front of her on top of her toast.

' **PRINCESS OR PRINCE-LESS? LADY OLLIVANDER DOESN'T NEED A MAN!'**

Sweat started to form on her brow as she read, " _Witnesses claim that Lady Ollivander was approached by Miss Porter, attackers full name not known, in a club during her betrothal celebration. Miss Porter continued to yell and accuse Lady Ollivander of stealing something and attempted to hit her. Witnesses claim that Lady Ollivander finished the fight that Miss Porter started. Aurors were quick on the scene and no one was caught or brought in for questioning. So far, no charges have been filed by either party."_

He threw down a few more front pages from different papers.

' **KNOCKOUT PRINCESS OR UNICORN PRINCESS?'**

' **WITCHES GET STITCHES'**

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Severus asked her while trying to fight back the smirk.

'THAT BITCH SET ME UP!'

Severus and Garrick busted into laughter at her claims, not able to hide it anymore. Severus bent down and kissed her on the forehead, "I'm proud of you, Angel."

Garrick shook his head and set his empty cup of coffee down, "No doubt where your temper came from…" He stood up and patted her on the head before going upstairs to work in the shop.

Severus took his seat next to her and gave her a knowing smile, "Was it worth it?"

' _Yes!_ ' she balled her fist up and shook it.

He chuckled again and took her hand in his, "We need to talk about the future. After the wedding, I mean."

She pulled her hand away to sign, 'You mean the offer with Master Jiggers?'

He nodded, "Yes. There are other offers that I've gotten. Quite a few requests from the Ministry, even Lucius has pulled some strings to make sure that I start off higher than what trainees are paid."

'But you lose your freedom to create. Is that what you're worried about?'

"Not as much as the long hours that will be required of me. I don't want to start off our marriage in passing, I want to see you." His admission made her sigh lovingly.

'What other offers do you have?' she rested her cheek in the palm of her hand as she leaned on the table.

"Well, I got a few from other Apothecaries in England but non are as reputable as this one. Some offers from St. Mungo's critical ward and one from Hogwarts." He sneered at the last one.

'So Master Jiggers was right, Slughorn wants to retire.'

"Yes, and I know from what you told me… that I will have to teach there one day." He said through grit teeth.

'But just not so soon. If you don't want to do it, then don't. I wouldn't want you dealing with brat ass kids like we were.' She laughed at her own choice of words. 'If you want to do something that you can build off of, then I am behind you with full support. If this deal with Jiggers is what you want to do, then I am here at your side the whole way.'

"But the money. I know your father said he would pay for the wedding, but I had plans for the coin to be put towards a house we can build a home from. I know you wanted to live outside of the city, and I saw a few houses for sale in the paper that I can afford around Hogsmeade. Even one that is a bit smaller in the country side of Devon, near Ottery St. Catchpole, but it's got a garden large enough for my potion ingredients and your flowers." Severus was ranting now.

She knew he did that when he was unsure of himself and was nervous. 'Demon, it doesn't matter where we live. I would have lived with you under a bridge somewhere in America, remember? A house will always be a house. It's who you share it with that make it a home. I have no problems with living above the potion shop with you until we are ready to move up in life.'

Severus leaned his cheek into her waiting hand, "A tiny shack like that is no place for an Angel. Or a Unicorn Princess." He tried to fight the laughter, he really did.

'Boy, are you looking to see my right hook first hand?' she threatened him.

He flinched and moved back from her quickly, "I'll have your father draw up the contract with Master Jiggers immediately."

* * *

"Are you nervous?" Lucius asked Severus as they stood at the front of the fancy alter set up.

"I wasn't until you asked me for the hundredth time…" Severus spat.

"Relax, you'll be fine. You'll knock this out of the park. Unless she knocks you out first." Regs chimed in, making a joke about the front page from a few days earlier.

"I heard Evans couldn't get a potion to regrow her tooth or a decent bruise paste in all of England before her wedding." Lucius chuckled and elbowed Severus.

"Hmm? I wonder why." He smirked, knowing he had Master Jiggers blacklist her from all Apothecaries for the week. "I do hope she gets the gift that we sent over."

Regs leaned over Lucius and whispered quickly "Brother, what did you do?"

He shrugged and tried to suppress a dark chuckle but couldn't help it, "She wanted the spotlight so I sent over some professional photographers from the Prophet for her wedding as a gift from House Prince. They will get all her good angles and bruises."

Regs let out a bark like laugh and was immediately shushed by Narcissa from across the aisle. "You vile, evil genius. I'm so proud of you."

"Will you all shut up? She's coming!" Narcissa hissed at them.

The soft violin played as Garrick walked her down the aisle. This was a wizarding ceremony but House Ollivander tradition was to hold the ceremony in a church. The same church that they came to for her birthday every year. Severus stood up straight and looked ahead at her, trying not to let his jaw drop to the floor. She looked amazing and more beautiful than he had ever seen her before. He would have to thank her friends for picking such an amazing dress for her. It was brilliant white with small diamonds or jewels that shimmered when she walked. She held a bouquet of green and white dahlias and had the hair clips that he had gifted her their first Christmas together.

She didn't wear the traditional veil that muggle customs called for but she did have a small crown or tiara with jewels and small white flowers. When Garrick brought her up the small steps he reached for Severus' hand before handing her off to him.

"You take care of my little girl."

"I promise sir."

"Or I'll-"

"Kill me. Got it." Severus gave him a lopsided smirk.

Juliet gave Severus a huge smile and fought the urge to jump and hug him. He took both of her hands in his and surprised that her hands were trembling. He gave her a reassuring squeeze and hoped she didn't realize that his palms were sweaty with how nervous he was.

"You are a living dream, Angel." He whispered softly to her.

Garrick didn't take a seat, instead he moved around them and took the spot a step above them in the center. He was also going to be the official who would be bonding them together. Severus could hear his mother sniffling somewhere behind him.

"We are gathered here today to witness the joining of two great Houses. House Prince and House Ollivander." Garrick started. "This will not be the typical joining of Houses, but a bonding of two souls for all eternity."

The small crowd that was invited murmured and whispered in their seats. ' _A soul bond hasn't been done in decades!' 'That's so uncommon!' 'Yes, but it will only work if their love is pure!' 'Yeah, or else they're gonna be in for one hell of a life together.'_

"First, the ceremony of purity. I ask that you each sip from the cup of innocence." Garrick picked up a small golden chalice from a little table behind him and first handed it to Severus.

This was the test that Lucius had told him about in the bar that day in Hogsmeade. If he wanted to marry her, he had to keep her pure. Severus took the small cup and took a single gulp from it and handed it to Juliet. A moment later he felt a warmth spread through his body and a white glow surround him. It did the same for Juliet when she drank as well. This proved their virginity to each other and the witnesses.

"May their bond be as pure as their love for each other." Garrick took out his wand and motioned for them to face each other. "Love is common, true love is uncommon but true love between two people who share the same magical cores is rarer than anything in this world."

With the flick of his wand, a large gold pensieve looking bowl appeared under their joined hands. Severus turned her hand over in his with her palm facing up and took a small gold dagger from Garrick. He pressed the blade against the palm of her hand and looked her in the eye.

"I do this not to hurt you, but to bring us closer together." He said loud and clear before he nicked her palm. He watched the blood pool in her hand before over flowing into the bowl below it.

He handed the dagger to Garrick to wiped it clean before handing it to Juliet. She was unable to speak but whispering would hold the same magic as his, 'I do this not to hurt you, but to bring us closer together.'

Severus was lost in her big silver eyes and didn't even feel the cut on his palm. His blood overflowed into the bowl to join hers and he was in a trance. Garrick took the dagger, wiped it clean and put it aside. He held his wand over their now joined bloody hands and a red ribbon shot out the end and wrapped around their hands tightly. There would be no way for them to separate now unless the ribbon was cut.

"Do you, Severus Tobias Snape of House Prince, take Juliet Aurelia Ollivander of House Ollivander as your wife. In sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer,  _no matter the timeline?_ " Garrick sneakily added the last part.

"I do." He bowed his head as he spoke.

"Do you, Juliet Aurelia Ollivander of House Ollivander, take Severus Tobias Snape of House Prince as your husband. In sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer,  _no matter the timeline?"_

'I do.' She bowed her head as well.

"May the fires of your love burn forever brightly, for as long as you both shall live." Garrick pulled his wand back and nodded to both of them.

In unison they ignited their magical cores in the palms of their joined hands and felt their love for each other. Everyone watched as the fire consumed the red ribbon tied around their hands and the magic take hold. The remnants of burning ribbon floated down into the bowl of their mixed blood and flared up. Gasps could be heard as they all watched the magic take over and boil their blood until a bright golden glow emitted from the bowl.

Once the flames burned away and the golden glow disappeared, Severus took the hand that was joined to his and turned the palm over. The cut and the blood now gone and said, "I will spend every day with you as if it is my last."

When pressed her palm to his lips everyone in the crowd awed. Lucius sniffled and whispered, "It's so beautiful." Regs handed him his handkerchief and patted him on the back.

Juliet turned his palm over and whispered the same before kissing his palm, 'I will spend every day with you as if it is my last.'

"I am proud to announce the joining of House Prince and House Ollivander! Let us raise our wands in honor of Lord Severus and Lady Juliet Prince!" Garrick took the lead and raised his wand for everyone to follow.

White sparks shot out the end of their wands as Severus bent down to kiss Juliet for the first time as husband and wife. Neither of them able to keep the huge smiles off their face or their arms from around each other. Soon they felt Garrick bring them both in for a tight hug. Then Lucius couldn't help himself but join as well.


	72. Chapter 72

***old lady from the Titanic* Its been 84 years... SMUT**

***drum roll***

**Reviews please. What do you think happens next? What do you think WANT TO happen next?**

* * *

Severus couldn't keep his hands off of Juliet. Something about the magic binding they just shared was drawing to her more than ever before. Everything was a blur from the wedding to the reception. They couldn't keep their eyes and hands off each other. He danced with her as much as she wanted and kept her close to him. It took both Garrick and Eileen to part them so they could dance with their own children.

Severus didn't care who was around, he couldn't keep the huge smile off his face when looking down at her. He did it. He finally got the girl and married her like he had sworn to himself all those years ago. He couldn't even think of all the struggles and battles fought to get here because it was all worth it.

Severus was dancing with her again, in the center of the room with other couples dancing around them. They weren't even paying attention to the tempo of the music, they were going at their own pace. Severus' head shot up towards the commotion coming from the balcony.

"Stay here." He told her and went to investigate.

Yaxley and Nott were holding down a short bald mad with a camera strapped around his neck. He was struggling to get away from them and yelped in surprise when he looked up and saw Severus.

"What's going on here?"

"Hey Snape, we caught this guy creeping around out here in the bushes. He was taking pictures and tried to make a getaway when we snatched him." Nott pressed his wand into the guy's throat.

"Apparently he can't read the signs that say 'NO PRESS'. He works for the Prophet." Yaxley added.

The man shook his head, "No. No. They lie! I'm related to the newly betrothed." Nott zapped him with his wand. "On the bride's side!"

"House Ollivander has no relation to House Skeeter." Garrick came up to stand next to Severus.

"Alright! I'm a freelancer, okay? I'm just trying to make my break like everyone else and put food on the table for my family." The Skeeter man confessed.

"Yes, by selling the privacy of other's. Destroy the camera then get rid of him." Severus ordered his friends.

Lucius cleared his throat and stepped forward, "I see an opportunity here, Lord Prince."

Severus rolled his eyes at his friend's title for him, "Opportunity?"

"Well, I am a business man after all." He chuckled. "This man will be the only photographer in the world who will have photos of your wedding. Let him take more. Better ones than some taken from the grassy knoll. Then let him take them to the papers. The Daily Prophet, Witch Weekly… whomever is the highest bidder. Let him make his coin but write a contact to give you a percentage of the funds."

Garrick tilted his head and looked from Lucius to the photographer, "He's got a good point, that isn't a bad idea."

Severus narrowed his eyes at his friend and looked for Juliet who was standing in the doorway of the balcony. Lucius put his hand on Severus' shoulder, "The newly betrothed will gain favor of the coin to be collected. I'm sure this would put House Skeeter in good graces with House Prince. A nice wedding gift."

"Yes!" the man pointed at Lucius and agreed with him. "I'll take the best photos. Get all the good angles!"

He knew his friend had a point, they needed the coin. Especially since he was about to give nearly all his life saving to Jiggers in a week to partner with him. He wanted to be able to support his wife and give her the things she wanted.

"How much coin are we talking about? I'll not sell our privacy for a few Knuts."

"I'll say ninety five percent of his profits." Lucius said smoothly.

"Ninety five?! That's robbery!" the man argued.

"And this is trespassing!" Yaxley shoved him against the wall.

The man looked at Severus and Lucius, "You're business chaps… how about a fair sixty forty split?"

"Ninety, ten and I don't file charges." Severus crossed his arms.

"D-deal!"

Lucius nudged Severus towards his bride, "Go on, I'll handle the details. Go show your wife a good time."

Severus nodded and strode back to Juliet who was waiting for him with open arms. 'Is everything alright?'

"It's fine. Lucius decided to get us a wedding photographer last minute who didn't have the proper invitation at the door. Shall we dance some more?" he kissed her hand and led her away from the balcony.

The spent the rest of the night with their friends and family until he finally had enough of sharing her. Their parents hugged and kissed them goodbye one last time before they apparated to their honeymoon destination.

* * *

It was another gift from Garrick, two weeks in a private mansion on Balearic Island in Spain. When they arrive the fireplace was going and there were candles lit all around. Severus couldn't give a damn about scenery right now, his bride was already putting her hands all over him and undoing his tie.

He didn't know how they made it to the bed, or even know that there was one nearby until they hit it. Severus wanted things to go smoothly and take his time with her but the wedding dress was about to be ripped beyond recognition if it didn't cooperate soon. Sensing his frustrations she whispered a spell and the lacing in the back came undone.

They both started to laugh as they continued working each other out of their clothes. Laughter soon turned into kisses and moaning. Severus's body felt like it was on fire in a good way. There were no words and nothing to say. Since the bonding ceremony they were in tune with each other and knew what they needed.

Her hands were tangled in his hair and his were busy wrapping her legs around him. He hadn't felt this surge of magic before, even when their flames first touched or when he discovered his Animagus. Juliet felt as if she were going to burst unless he reached that spot she has been craving for so long.

As if their bodies knew it was time, he was pressed against her entrance and her body arched towards him. He nudged her nose with his, asking one last time. She nodded and kissed him deeply, tongues caressing and holding onto him tightly.

Severus rocked his hips forwards as slow and gently as he could. He knew about all the discomfort for her first time that would be unavoidable. He gripped her thigh tightly at the feeling of her warmth surrounding him.

Juliet's mouth was open in a hitched breath. He waited for her to give him a sign that she was alright. He was rewarded with her rocking her hips towards him. They were laying on their sides and he moved to roll on top of her, supporting himself to give better angle for control. Severus pushed forward and burrowed as deep as he could, as much as her body let him.

Juliet watched Severus's emotions play out on his face as he paused again. He started to breath fast and heavy as if it was all to overwhelming for him. She cupped his face and pulled him down so his forehead was pressed against hers. Without words he copied her slower breathing and kept his eyes focused on hers.

When he finally calmed down enough he started to back and forth. When Juliet wrapped her legs around him and pulled him deeper he picked up his pace. Her hands moved from him to her chest, giving him better access for his lips and tongue.

If one could choose a location to die, this would be it for him. She tightened around him and clenched her eyes shut. They had messed around before and he felt this many time around his fingers. She was reaching climax, yet this time it was better. So much better when he was inside of her.

Already knowing her preferences and what she needed, he picked up his pace again and rode her first orgasm. He was rewarded with his name on her lips and her nails in his back. She whispered that she loved him and he felt himself coming undone.

She reached a hand up to the center of his chest and ignited her flame in the palm of her hand. He growled and threw his head back. His body tensed and his hips jerked hard against her until he had nothing left to give.


	73. Chapter 73

**can i go a solid 2 months without being sick? Is that too much to ask for?**

**In other news... getting my tatas (grandfather's) 88 ford f250 with a 460 motor in it. I'm so fucking excited. Its getting towed to my friends shop back in Phoenix in a few weeks. And then when the rebuild is finished I'll fly out and drive it to Texas. This truck is a year older than me and has been sitting in his back yard for over a decade. But I have so many memories in it.**

**Anyway ... you wanted some reactions and here they are. With smut.**

**what do you guys think will happen next? Bet you'll be caught off guard. Heheheh**

* * *

James was woken up the morning after his wedding night to his wife screaming at the top of her lungs. A painful high-pitched screech that caused him to jump and roll for his wand instinctively. After discovering that it wasn't a banshee that was attacking them, he found her at the kitchen table reading the Daily Prophet.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" he asked.

She slammed the paper down on the table and smacked her hand on it loudly, "WHAT'S WRONG?!"

"There's really no need to yell…"

"Our wedding picture is on the front page!" her eyes were watering now.

He tilted his head and gave her a confused look, "I… I thought that's what you wanted?"

She slid the paper across the table forcefully, making him awkwardly dive for it before it went over and fell to the floor, "I  _wanted_  our picture on the front  _cover_ , not the front page of the  _funnies_. And I  _wanted_  it showing me as the beautiful and glowing, not some  _BUSTED BRIDE_!"

James looked down at the front section of the funnies that she threw at him. It was them standing at the alter and the official had just told James to kiss the bride. He lifted her veil and saw her poorly covered bruise and missing tooth smile. He realized how bad it looked because he had known she got in a fight but didn't realize she lost. Nor did he realize that she couldn't get it healed before the wedding. He could see how bad that looked, especially with the headlines.

' **MUGGLEBORN SCUFFLE BURSTS BIG DAY BUBBLE'**

' **PORTER NUPTUALS END IN HOSPITAL OR HONEYMOON?'**

James threw the paper back down on the table, "Lils, why are you reading this rubbish? It doesn't mean anything."

"Oh yeah? Look who stole our date and made the FRONT page of the paper." She slid the cover page over of the Daily Prophet.

It showed Juliet and Severus at the alter completing the soul bonding ceremony complete with fire. More photos underneath showed them kissing, dancing and smiling at each other lovingly. It was in the special print above The Daily Prophet logo that says 'Collector's Edition.' That was huge news, only political happenings like a new Minister got collector's edition title.

' **HOUSE PRINCE BURNS BRIGHT WITH FIRST SOUL BOND THIS CENTURY'**

' **UNICORN PRINCESS AND HALF-BLOOD PRINCE OFF THE MARKET!'**

' **ROYALTY OF THE WIZARDING WORLD TIE THE KNOT'**

James looked up at her, "I don't care what they have to say about them. We're never going to have to deal with them for the rest of our lives. You need to move on, Lils. We're not in school anymore."

Lily's face turned red, "They stole my moment!"

James sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I thought you didn't care about popularity and loved me no matter what. You knew going into this that House Potter was shunned."

"They didn't even get our names right."

James punched his fist on the table and glared at her, "You were the one who wanted our wedding on this specific date. You knew damn well it was the same as theirs."

"No I didn't-"

"The papers announced their wedding date before you made up your mind. I asked you to push it back because I wanted Moony to be there for it. But you wouldn't budge. I had my wedding missing one of my best mates because you are in constant competition with those two!" James was raising his voice now.

"Am not! You know that Remus messed up bad, we don't know if he will even get out at all!"

"Don't say that!" James pointed an angry finger at her, "You don't get to play high and mighty. Not when you should be locked up in a cell right next to him. You were the one who agreed to go along with the whole plan. You're lucky he's a good friend and didn't rat your or Prongs out too!"

Lily's face was red, "What do you want from me, James?"

"I want you to stop obsessing over those two and move on with your life. With me. Focus on me."

"But-"

James slammed his other fist on the table, "Do you love him?"

"What? Who?" her head shot back and her eyes went wide.

"Snape. Do you love him after all this time? You two grew up together and when you got to school you kept going on and on about how much of a loser he was. How you wanted to get him off your back. Then as soon as he does and he shows interest in another girl, you throw fits about it." James was pointing out everything that he had been holding in for years. "Ever since Ollivander came to school you changed as a person and I don't like it. I've tried but I can't deal with it."

James didn't bother waiting for a response. It was more to say what needed to be said and let her stew on it. He had made his peace with Severus after their duel. He lost fair and square then owed him a life debt, which he repaid by telling him about their plan for Juliet at the Shack. As far as he was concerned, he and Snape were settled once and for all.

* * *

Remus was sitting on the edge of his little cot. He was still in Azkaban, the Dangerous Creatures cell block. It was damp and dark with twice as many Dementors as the other blocks, since they believed that "dangerous animals" required more to break their mental will.

He had the newspaper clenched in his dirty hands. He was so furious that he was shaking. Seeing that the girl he wanted and needed to be with had gotten married while he was behind bars crushed him. He was too late. There was nothing he could do, let alone from a tiny cell in the middle of the sea. She was gorgeous in her wedding dress, he had to give her that. He placed one hand over the paper, covering Severus in the picture and imagined that it was him that she was kissing.

The soul bond was not something that one could break unless either one died. Remus knew that, and as a pureblood he knew that was an unbreakable contract. Unless they failed to produce an heir within one year of marrying. Could he get his hopes up knowing that it was a possibility? That Severus was unable to produce an heir?

Did it matter if he was going to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban? He hadn't seen the Headmaster since he was booked. He promised that he would get him out and that was over a month and a half ago. He missed his best friends wedding as well. He followed along in the papers as well.

Seeing Juliet on the front page with Lily in that club did put a smile on his face. Remus loved Lily as a friend but even he knew she had that one coming. Then seeing her wedding photo in the paper made him smile for the first time in Azkaban. He wished he could have been there for his best friend's wedding. Especially with his bride looking like that. He would tease him until the end of time about it.

He missed his friends, but he missed freedom more.

* * *

Severus was in the deepest sleep he'd ever had in his life. He couldn't remember the last time he had a peaceful dreamless sleep. He was stirred awake by the greatest sensation. Perhaps it wasn't a dreamless sleep after all. He felt a light tickling across his chest that lead down his stomach, then a wet warmth engulf him below the sheets.

Juliet wanted to wake up her husband the proper way, with her mouth wrapped around him. She slowly moved her mouth up and down along his length, ever so slowly to watch his breathing pattern change and his body tense. She could never take all of him at once, so her hands helped her of course.

He moaned on a particularly long stroke and lifted his head off the pillow to peek down at her. "Good morning, wife."

She pulled back and smiled up at him, 'Good morning, husband.'

She slowly crawled up the bed, hovering over him as she did so. He reached up and helped move her hips in position over him. "You're not sore?"

'Took a potion.' She signed quickly before grabbing him and guiding herself on top of him.

Severus' mouth hung open and his eyes went wide as he watched himself disappear in her. With her weight pushing her down, this was farther than he was able to go the night before. Then she moved up and started to sink back down again. He let out a long deep groan and bit his lip. He let her set the pace, helping her hips move up and down him at her leisure.

He sat up and dove head first into her chest, wrapping both arms around her to keep her from escaping. Not that she was going anywhere any time soon. Juliet put a hand on his should to support herself and the other tangled in his hair to keep his mouth on her breast.

The slow pace eventually got too much for him, his hands cupped her bottom and he started to lift her and bring her down harder and faster. She tugged his hair to make him look up at her, giving her access to kiss him. Suddenly she pushed him back by the shoulders and swung a leg off of him, making him pause his actions and give her a surprised look.

She turned around on the bed, tucking her legs under his thighs and backing up to him. He got the hint and helped guide herself onto him again. At first he thought this would be an awkward position but it gave her a better angle with more control.

" _Good God, witch."_  He breathed when she started bucking back and forth on him.

Severus grabbed her by the hips and helped her maintain the pace, but bringing her down harder every time. The sounds of their skin slapping together could be heard amongst their breathing and his moans. He knew he wouldn't last much longer with her, so he reached his arms around her and pulled her higher up into more of a kneeling position. It gave him access to her breasts and making it easier to reach between her legs.

'SEVERUS!' she threw her head back and breathed his name loudly.

He could feel her tighten around him and her legs start to shake. He was right behind her, sinking his teeth into her shoulder and growling through his own release. She stiffened her motions, gripping her hands on his thighs to keep him still as well.

It was an aftershock of sensitivity, and he could feel her inner muscles still pulsing around him. He placed light kisses on her neck and back, letting her come down gracefully.

Finally, she relaxed and nearly collapsed against him, 'Wow.'

He chucked and pulled her with him to lay back in the bed, pulling the covers over them. "How articulate, wife."

'Shut up and cuddle me.'

* * *

They woke up a few hours later, the sound of Severus' stomach waking them up and causing her to tickle him.

'When is the last time you ate?'

He shrugged, "The day before the wedding I think. I was too nervous to keep anything down."

'Surely you ate at the reception.' She was already getting up to find them food.

He reached up and smacked her playfully on the bottom, "I was preoccupied."

Juliet walked to the small kitchen area and found a small plate of fruits and cheese with the morning paper tucked under the platter. She grabbed both and headed back to the bed with them. Severus sat up and moved the pillows against the headboard.

'Don't plan on getting out of bed today then?' she teased.

"Not if I can help it. I plan to stay in this bed and keep you here for the whole trip." He pulled her into his side and nuzzled her neck.

With every piece of fruit or cheese she hand fed him, she kissed him. Enjoying the first step to the rest of their lives. 'Can you believe we're finally married? It feels like a dream sometimes. Like we finally made it.'

Severus grabbed the newspaper from her lap, remembering what he had done for their wedding. "I know Angel, and it was all worth it."

She rested her head on his shoulder and looked at the pictures of their wedding on the front page. 'You look so handsome with your hair pulled back.'

Severus hummed in agreement but he was looking for something else. When he finally flipped through enough sections he found what he was looking for and busted out laughing. Throwing his head back and clenching his eyes shut.

She took the paper from him, her mouth open in shock at seeing Lily's wedding picture on the front page of the funnies, 'Oh my god! Can you believe they took those pictures?!'

"It. Was. Worth. Every. Knut." Severus struggled to say between fits of laughter.

She slapped him on the shoulder, 'You did this?!'

Severus wiped his eye, "I sent House Potter a gift on behalf of House Prince. A professional photography crew. After all, Evans always wanted to be on the front page."

Juliet started laughing as well, throwing the paper aside and pulling him in for a kiss. 'You can be such a Demon.'

Severus rolled to hover over her, he was already standing at attention and rubbing against her thigh. "So I've been told…"

He started to kiss her collar bone and trail downwards, "What shall be my penance?"


	74. Chapter 74

**hows everyone doing? Staying warm?**

**A few of you have left reviews about sev and juliets future...**

**I'm glad you asked.**

* * *

Their honeymoon was full of two glorious weeks of intimacy. Severus being true to his word, kept Juliet in bed as much as possible. He was snuggling with her in bed with her back to him and his face buried in her neck. With his arms tightly around her, he closed his eyes and synced his breathing with hers. This was his nightly routine before falling asleep.

Juliet's body stiffened suddenly and she stopped breathing. Severus sat up and rolled her on her back, hovering over her with a concerned look.

"JULIET!" He shook her shoulders but she was unresponsive.

Her back arched and her eyes shot open, her mouth slack wide and she still wasn't breathing. Severus feared that she was having a seizure and didn't know what to do. He could only hold on and try and get her to breathe. He continued to shake her and call out to her.

Yet she didn't hear him calling out to her, her vision was nowhere focused on anything in the room. She was having another memory attack, as they called them. Another episode of the future changing. She watched as key points in their lives occurred and monumental moments in the years to come changed drastically.

" _Riddle named new Headmaster of Hogwarts!"_

" _Dumbledore missing."_

" _Lupin sighted near Bristol, ministry urges families to hide children."_

_Juliet saw flashes of the older Severus, he didn't have a dark mark. He was backed into a corner with his wand out, trying to hide something behind him. There were men wearing masks. Death Eaters with their wands out and pointing them at him._

" _Daddy!" a child's voice cried out. Juliet saw flashed images of a dark haired boy peek out from behind Severus' back and she saw an older version of herself. She was heavily pregnant and pulling the boy who couldn't have been older than two or three back behind his father._

" _The Half-Blood Prince is mine." The Dark Lord stepped forward with his wand out and a sick smile._

" _Take me- but leave them alone." Severus tried to barter._

" _It's far too late to join ranks, Prince. I no longer require your services."_

_A growl could be heard from behind the tall pale man. "She's mine. Don't forget the deal. Do what you want to the pup but she belongs to me."_

" _Lupin." Severus said through grit teeth._

_It was the last thing he said before a bright green flash of light ended the memory._

Juliet snapped out of it as Severus pulled his mouth off of hers. He had panicked and started performing muggle CPR. It was the only thing he could think of that could possibly work. She gasped for air and started coughing. It felt as if she had been held underwater for far too long.

"Angel… my angel…" Severus held her tightly to his chest, rocking her back and forth. He was high strung with his anxiety through the roof. His mind had raced through so many things.

He thought she had been poisoned at first, then it jumped to thinking that she had been cursed or perhaps had an allergic reaction. Severus brushed her hair away from her face and looked down to her, looking her over to make sure that she was in fact alive.

Her mouth tried to form the words she was desperate to tell him. 'Albus… need to get Albus.'

Severus stopped rocking back and forth, his brows shot up. "You mean… your memories? The future changed?"

She nodded and struggled to catch her breath, still coughing silently. 'Water.'

He set her down against the pillows gently and jumped off the bed. Forgetting that he had a wand in his hand, he rushed to get her a glass of water. "Tell me. What happened? Are you safe?"

Juliet took the cup of water from him, but didn't drink it. His question caused her to burst into tears while shaking her head. His gut dropped and his mouth went dry. If she wasn't safe in the future, then that means he failed to protect her.

She set the glass of water down and tried to sign, 'He killed you both. He was too strong.'

"Both?"

Juliet sobbed, putting her hands to her face before shakily signing the words. 'You and our son.'

His mind came to a halt.  _Son._  A deafening ringing was the only thing he heard. Like he was in a room that was far too quiet. His breath was taken away by her words. Son?! What the hell was he doing being a father? He had no business- no right!

"You mean- you're- you're-" he pointed to her stomach.

She shook her head, 'Not yet. I took a potion before the wedding. In the future.'

He sat back on his heels, still on the bed. "Then we don't have a son. Not when the future is as dangerous as you say it is."

'I need Albus. We need to find Albus. Now.'

* * *

Their honeymoon had ended three days before planned but neither of them could focus on anything other than what she saw in her memories. He was unusually quiet since she told him the future. She was glad that he wasn't distant from her, but his silence did worry her.

They apparated to Garrick's home immediately. That was the only place that either of them could think of to start looking for Albus. If anyone knew where the former Headmaster was, then it would be Garrick. Or at least he would find a way.

It took three weeks to find Albus Dumbledore. It took all of Garrick's resources and a lot of coin to find him but he did. He knew how important this was and that he had to do even more to get him back into Hogwarts. From what Juliet had shown him in her memories, this was a grave matter and Albus had to be reinstated at Hogwarts.

"I'm sorry, come again?"

Garrick was scowling with his arms crossed. Through grit teeth he repeated himself, "We need you."

Albus gave him a knowing smile with a twinkle in his eye, "How can I help you?"

"Stop being all high and mighty. You know what this is about. We need you to go back to Hogwarts. The future has changed and we are all going to die unless you are Headmaster." Garrick couldn't believe the words were coming out of his mouth but it was the truth.

"I'm afraid that I have been banned. My hands are tied." Albus shrugged and took a sip of his tea with his pink up.

Garrick narrowed his eyes, "You know I can make it happen. I just need you to come back with me to the Ministry. So grab your cloak and get your arse in that Floo."

"What's in it for me?"

Garrick sputtered, "In it for you?!" He turned to look at Juliet and Severus, "That gall of this man!"

Severus' temper was no better than Garrick's, "You get your precious castle and order while being able to tell everyone what to do. What more do you want?!"

Albus turned his nose at them and hunkered down in his brown wingback chair, "I just don't feel like I'm being taken serious or appreciated."

Juliet put a hand on both Severus' arm and Garrick's, giving them both a stern look. Garrick clenched his eyes shut and counted to ten, "Fine. You were right. We were wrong. We are eternally grateful and are nothing without you."

When he opened his eyes Albus was already standing at the floo, "Well are we leaving or not?"

"I hate him. So much." Garrick breathed before stepping towards the floo after him.

* * *

After Garrick had pulled rank of his Sacred 28 status and bribed the Houses that required more of an incentive, Albus was finally reinstated as Headmaster of Hogwarts. They immediately went to Hogwarts after it was all said and done. They sat in his office while drinking tea. Well, Juliet and Albus were the only ones drinking tea, Garrick and Severus were drinking whiskey. They planned to wait around for her memories to change and show them the future that was planned for.

"How long does it usually take?" Garrick asked Severus.

"Unsure, this time it took almost two months? He was canned before we graduated." Severus gave a small shrug of his shoulders.

"But that was probably due to Voldemort planning on taking over his post. Now he knows it's no longer available?"

'I think it has to do with Remus. His name and face kept coming up. I think he recruits him and uses him as his strongest ally.' Juliet had been thinking about it the whole time but didn't know how to explain it.

Albus finally spoke, "But he already had Greyback."

'He has a werewolf that had been on wanted posters since before the war started. Greyback is a foreign werewolf. Having Remus would give him an advantage of having one who already knows the ground and the inner connections of everything. It wouldn't be hard to recruit him.'

"She has a point." Garrick turned to face the fire, "He's sitting alone in a cell right now with Dementors feeding off of him. All it takes is a few promises and smooth comments and he would make a deal. But what does he offer him? Freedom? Gold?"

'Me.'

Everyone turned to look at her.

'You can hide me but he already knows I exist. He knows that I am married to Severus and he knows my scent. In my memories he only wanted me.' Juliet put her hands in her lap and bit her lip.

Severus stepped next to her chair and put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "She has a point. He's already proven that he would kill me to get to her. Her memories are of him tearing Britain apart to get to her."

Garrick turned to face them, "Then what do we do?"

Albus stood up and looked at Severus seriously, "You need to free him from Azkaban."

Severus' head shot up, " **Me?** "

"It's the only way." Albus started to pace across the rug in the center of the room. "You need to use your rise in status to get him out. You are the one providing his potions and have the ministry contract. You can use that as a reason to get him released. Tell them that you are working on a new potion to cure Lycanthropy. You need him available at any given moment for testing. Not only that you would have a life debt over his head, should he accept your offer of freedom. Meaning he cannot kill or plot against you."

Everyone was quiet for several moments before Garrick spoke, "It's not a bad idea, and it's all we have right now."

"So I need to get to him before the Dark Lord does." Severus reaffirmed.

"That's the only way I see this correcting the timeline."

Severus knew he had to do it. He didn't like it but for the safety of his wife and their future child, he had no other choice. "Very well."


	75. Chapter 75

**for me to continue posting at least one chapter a week the chapters will be short. Sorry. 8 months pregnant and have a 1.5 year old and my husband has been working nights. Still havent moved into our new house because of the non stop shitty Texas weather. *stressed***

**Not sure if I announced it in aphelion... but some updates with other work. If you dont know, now you know. I run the Harry Potter OC Fanfiction page on Facebook. I also just created the Marvel OC Fanfiction page with Thegranddisciple, who is my cowriter on soldier of** **fortune and some other projects coming up. So if you wanna join the cool kids and check us out of Facebook, join those pages.**

**after soldier of fortune is finished we are collaborating on a oneshot Moody/oc fic called Legal Assassin and are dedicating it to our good friend MoodeysProtege.**

**Then after that we are writing another Marvel fic called Vegas Mutant Vacation, it will be a colossus/ oc / cable, domino / oc pairing. Its gonna be great. Give us a read.**

**Then we may or may not have talked ourselves into a harry /Hermione mystery fic. That one is still in the air right now.**

* * *

Severus had never been to Azkaban, and he never wanted to either. The trip there was stressful enough, going across by boat and having to pass several inspections and repetitive questioning just irritated him. He was required to surrender his wand if he wanted visitation rights. Then he was led by a guard through a maze of halls and stairways to get to Remus' cell.

As he walked he could hear people screaming and crying in their cells. Some of them thanking him for visiting, because when a visitor was on the premises the Dementors were removed from the cell block they were visiting. It didn't mean Severus didn't feel their chill or dark presence on him. He wanted to go home and curl up with his wife.

The guard ran the tip of his wand along the bars of his cell, "Lupin- you got a visitor!"

Severus stepped in front of the cell and looked in while the guard left them to their visit. The cell was dirty and grimy, Remus was laying on a thin mattress curled up. He looked over his shoulder and rolled to get out of bed. Severus could see the gold shine of his eyes looking at him from the dark corner of his cell. Remus slowly got up and walked towards the bars where he stood.

"Here to rub it in my face?" Remus grunted.

Severus looked him over now that he was standing in better lighting. His hair was long and shaggy, his facial hair in dire need of a shave and he was a lot skinner than he remembered him. He looked over Remus' shoulder and saw the pictures of their wedding stuck to the wall above his bed. Of course he would cut Severus out of them.

Severus stood tall with his hands folded in front of him, "I'm here to speak to you about your release."

Remus let out a rough bark of a laugh, "My release? Like you have any say in that."

"Are you going to listen to what I have to say or not?" Severus was losing his patience.

"Why should I? You're the reason I'm in here."

Severus' hand reached through the bars and grabbed a hold of his shirt, slamming his face into the bars. "Your own actions landed you in this cell. Remember that, Lupin."

Remus pulled away from him and barred his teeth, "Dumbledore said he would get me out of here, I won't make any deals with dark wizards just to see the sky again."

Severus rolled his eyes, "You're the beast of Hogsmeade and  _I'm_  the dark wizard?" Severus tilted his head and looked down his nose at him, "Who do you think sent me? You think that I'm here because I actually care about your well being? That I want you free after everything you have done to my wife and I?"

"Dumbledore sent you?" he sounded surprised.

Through grit teeth he replied, " _Yes._  Now can we get to why I'm here? Unlike you, I don't belong here and have places to be."

Remus growled, "You come here in your pressed suit and reeking of her and expect me to take your olive branch? I'd rather wait for-"

" **For what?** " Severus' voice dropped several octaves. "For your friends to come and save you? They've been ordered to stay clear away from you. They're moving on with their lives and are in Auror training. Being seen with you would ruin their futures and careers. Dumbledore won't be coming, he was the one who sent me and is in enough fire with your condition. He barely got his job back at the school."

Remus stayed quiet but started pacing back and forth in his cell. His mind racing with everything that Severus was telling him.

He continued as he watched Remus pace, "When I leave here, I will not come back. The next person to visit you will be the darkest Wizard since Grindelwald and he will not take no for an answer. You have three choices, Lupin. You can accept my offer and walk out of here a free man, you can rot in this cell and never see the moon again, or you can walk out of here at the end of Voldemort's leash. What will it be, Lupin?"

"How do you know? That Voldemort will be coming for me. You are a Death Eater then?"

Severus looked up and down the hallway and into the cells behind him before whispering,  _"Just trust that there are bigger things in play than you think. Voldemort is gathering both wizards and beasts for his army. Dumbledore needs all the people he can get before the war starts."_

Remus gulped loudly, "What do I have to do?"

"I am still in charge of making your potions and I still have the contract with the Ministry. You need to tell your current handler that the potion isn't working like it used to. He will report it to the Ministry, where I will tell them that you may be forming an immunity to it. I will convince them that I need you accessible at any given time to test new potions and that I am pushing for the cure of lycanthropy." Severus explained quickly and looked over his shoulder again.

"Are you? The cure, I mean. Is that all I have to do?" Remus just had more questions.

"It's always been something I've been researching, but honestly, I am no where close to the cure. You have to agree to any stipulation they put on you. Whether it be a collar, house arrest or reporting to the Ministry every day. I will be in touch to administer your potions and give you the next direction." Severus said and made to leave.

"Wait!" Remus' hand shot out and grabbed him by the arm, "Juliet… is she… is she safe?"

Severus didn't bother answering his question, "Be ready when I call on you."

* * *

Severus walked through the Apothecary and up the stairs to their now called home. His stress levels were through the roof, after having to send Dumbledore a Patronus advising him that his visit was a success, then going to the Ministry with and line things up for the next step. When he walked through the front door his nose was welcomed with the delicious smells of dinner being cooked.

Juliet walked out of the kitchen wearing an apron and walked into his waiting arms. Her hands cupped his cheeks and she felt his forehead, 'You're freezing! What happened? Why are you so chilled in the middle of summer?'

He sighed and closed his eyes, "Azkaban isn't a very warm and welcoming place. The Dementors…" he shivered thinking about their presence in the back of his mind again.

'And Remus? Did he agree?'

"Yes, now we wait for the ministry clearance and he will be released. I've informed Dumbledore already. Now we just wait for your memory to change or for his next orders." Severus bent his head down to nuzzle his face into her neck. "I never want to return to that hellish place again."

Juliet led him to the couch, 'Dinner is ready. Come sit and relax. You wait here and I'll grab you a plate.'

He watched her leave, "Here? Why not at the dinner table?" He looked around the room and noticed that it wasn't there anymore. "What happened to the table?"

She came back with two plates of food and her cheeks turned red, 'There was an accident.'

"Are you alright?"

'Yes, but the table isn't. I'm ashamed to say my transfiguration skills would cause McGonagall to have a heart attack. I even tried to get Robbie's help to at least turn it back, but elf magic couldn't even save it.' She hung her head in shame.

Severus chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, "Well, where is it? Maybe there's something I can do. I wasn't much better in transfiguration than you but I can give it a go."

She pointed to the brass candlestick in the center of the coffee table that he hadn't noticed before. 'I can't even begin to tell you where it all went wrong or how this happened. I just wanted to make it stop wobbling and I turned the damn thing into a wobbling candlestick.'

Severus bit his lip to keep him from laughing, "Perhaps… you went wrong when you pulled out your wand?"


	76. Chapter 76

**I'm 8 months pregnant and totally over this. Tick tock. Get this kid out of me.**

**Who wants smut? I know I do. Some fluff too.**

* * *

The apothecary business was booming since Severus partnered up with Jiggers. The change of ownership was made public and Jiggers made the push for a name change. Slug and Jiggers was changed to Prince and Jiggers. The older man wanted to put his name in front but their solicitor advised them that putting the new up and coming House Prince first would make them more popular. It worked.

Their first week under the new name and with Severus working in the shop was the busiest they had ever been in years. Jiggers had to come to the shop himself and assist Severus with all the over the counter orders, as well as shoo away all the people who only wanted pictures and autographs with Lord Prince. Severus was excited to get started on his business that had always been a dream.

He had made the leap of faith and invested all the money he had into this plan. Sadly, it had yet to pay out. After the massive overhead of the shop and supplies were taken out, then taxes and Jiggers given his cut, Severus was left with a measly amount of coin for himself. It was frustrating but Juliet assured him that it would eventually pay off. That all new business owners started off slow and they had to work up to their success.

Severus was not a patient man, he was frustrated and impatient with the lack of coin coming in. After their household bills were paid, there was little to nothing left for them to spend. Juliet told him that she didn't mind and didn't require anything but it still bothered Severus. He was still getting a small incentive pay out from the Ministry for his contract with Lupin's Lycanthropy, but it wasn't enough. There were things in life that Severus wanted to provide for Juliet and things that she needed, but it wasn't looking good.

Juliet wanted a house, he knew that much for sure and they needed a new kitchen table since her transfiguration accident. Living right next door to his "father in law" was putting even more pressure on him to succeed, as well as the Daily Prophet reporters always harassing them when they walked throughout Diagon Alley.

They were poor, that was the only way that Severus could explain their current situation. They had lived together for a few months now. He promised her the house of her dreams after they got married and he joined this business.

The problem being that months later he still hadn't bought a house. Hell, he could barely afford their apartment over the apothecary in the first place. She told him that she could reach out to her father for help but he outright refused.

He didn't need the help of Garrick Ollivander nor did he want it. He told him that he would provide for his daughter and refused to go crawling for help. He wouldn't ask Lucius for help either, he just needed to get his latest potion project patented and the ministry to pick it up for royalties. Then they would be alright. He hoped.

He wouldn't be able to get a home in Godric's Hollow but maybe a house in the muggle world, out of the city somewhere.

'What's wrong?' Juliet signed.

He looked up from his notes that he was going over again when she had walked into his lab. "Nothing."

She gave him a small smirk and tilted her head but didn't say anything.

"What?" He asked impatiently.

'You're doing that thing again. Where you scowl and clench your hands open and close. What's stressing you?'

"Our current situation." he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He knew this would come to a head sooner or later.

'I didn't know we were having a situation...' she bit her lip and stepped further into the room. It was small and didn't take long for her to reach his side.

"Our financial situation. I promised you a home after the wedding. I can't even afford the Daily Paper for you, I know you love the crossword section." he unloaded everything on her, he didn't intend to. "You're from the Sacred 28, poverty isn't for you. I... have failed to provide for you."

He didn't expect her to smile, let alone as brightly as she did. 'Is this not a home? What we have here? Home is wherever you are. I don't need coins or a crossword paper everyday, because I have you! And I'm richer than Narcissa Malfoy as long as I have your love.'

His mouth opened and closed a few times and he swallowed the large ball that formed in the back of his throat. "I don't understand..."

'Your love is like gold to me.' Juliet signed before placing her palms on his cheeks and kissed him.

He picked her up and spun her around to sit her on the edge of the front counter, scattering his notes everywhere. "Juliet Prince, you are absolute perfection. I swear that things will get better. I will do better."

She shushed him with her lips, then pulled back and signed, 'You know what I want? More than anything right now?'

"Name it."

'You.'

Juliet's hands went for his belt and quickly undid it. Severus sucked in a sharp breath and groaned at her touch over his pants. "Angel, the shop is still open…"

"Then we better be quick." She whispered against his lips before tugging on his bottom lip with her teeth.

He nodded dumbly and let her take the lead for once. Juliet slid off the counter and sank to her knees, releasing his erection from his pants as she went. Severus gasped and bucked his hips when her mouth surrounded him.

He locked eyes with her as her head bobbed back and forth on him. Severus gently brushed her bangs away from her face and moved his hand to the back of her head, grabbing a fistful of hair and increasing her speed.

The bell above the front door rang loudly and his head shot up to see who it was. Juliet was hidden behind the counter and had paused her motions, getting ready to get up and run for it. Severus grabbed the back of her head and pushed her towards his erection again.

"Stay there and don't stop." He growled under his breath. "Can I help you, Ma'am?"

"Ma'am? I am not that old, Sev." Lily giggled.

Juliet huffed a breath through her nose angrily but didn't stop taking Severus in her mouth. His hand reached down and ran a thumb on her cheek lovingly, telling her that it was going to be alright.

Severus sneered at Lily, "Oh course, there are many other things that I can call you. That was the least insulting. What do you want, Evans?"

"It's Potter now." She snapped.

"My condolences, then. I forgot that I saw your picture in the papers. Did you enjoy my wedding gift?" he smirked.

"That was  _you?!"_ her eyes went wide and she pointed at him.

"Every bride needs a photographer at her wedding, I was only happy to oblige."

Lily made fists with her hands and started shaking, "You- you-"

Juliet pulled Severus out of her mouth and started using her tongue even lower. His jaw dropped and he quickly recovered, snapping at Lily, "What do you want?"

Lily reached into her purse and pulled out a scroll, holding it out to him to take, "I've been sent by Dumbledore. I'm to give this to you."

He snatched it out of her hand but didn't open it, "Your task is complete, now leave."

She crossed her arms and looked around, "And if I want to buy something?"

Juliet took his tip into her mouth, running her tongue softly across the underside of it repetitively. She knew it was a very sensitive spot for him. Severus turned his moan into a growl and braced both of his hands on the counter, " **What do you want?** "

Lily walked back and forth across the shop while smirking at him over her shoulder, "I want to take my time and give it all a look."

Severus gipped the edge of the counter tightly and bucked into Juliet's mouth every time Lily wasn't looking. This was exciting for him but he was losing his temper with Lily and her games. He let her walk around the shop while he focused on his cock being sucked behind the counter by his beautiful wife.

"So where is Ollivander?" Lily said randomly while picking up a potion and setting it back down as if it interested her.

His head shot up from looking at Juliet, "What?"

"I said, where is Ollivander?"

"My guess is Lord Ollivander is at his shop working. If you are referring to my wife, Lady Prince is busy tending to private matters." Severus took the opportunity to thrust roughly into her mouth and hit the back of her throat.

Lily licked her lips, "Well then… seeing as she left you all by her lonesome… perhaps you can show me around your lab? We could catch up." She eyed him up and down slowly.

Juliet retaliated by starting to suck on him and use her other hand to cup him. His knees went weak, "Oh god…" he opened his eyes to see Lily staring at him expectantly, "When are you ever going to take the hint? I do not want anything to do with you, Evans. Or Potter. Whatever the hell you go by now. So get whatever you want to buy and get the fuck out."

Lily huffed, "Do you have a fertility potion then?"

Severus held his hand out expectantly and the vial came from the back of the lab and landing into his hand. "There. Take it. Free of charge. Just get the fuck out."

Juliet increased her pace and suction on him even harder, bringing him closer to the edge. He leaned even more on the counter and clenched his eyes shut, hiding behind the curtain of his hair.

"Well how do I know it'll work?" Lily asked him.

He growled in frustration, "You'll get pregnant you daft cu-"

Lily slapped him across the face before he finished calling her that word. "How dare you?!"

Juliet nearly stood up to throw a punch at Lily but Severus grabbed her head and forced her back onto him, "So good…."

Lily grabbed the potion and stormed out of the store while calling out to him over her shoulder, "You are a sick man, Severus Snape!"

Once the door slammed shut behind Lily, he exploded into Juliet's mouth. Throwing his head back and calling her name out loudly. She slowly got up from her kneed position on the floor and cleaned them up with the wave of her wand.

He was still trying to catch his breath, "That was… that was… exhilarating."

'Next time I'm gonna pop up and pop her in the mouth for saying those things.' Juliet signed angrily.

Severus chuckled and kissed her forehead, "So you're saying there's a next time?"

Juliet smiled and buried her face in his chest, when Severus finally remembered that scroll that Lily gave him from Dumbledore. He summoned it and opened it while Juliet rested her head against his chest with her arms wrapped around his middle.

He read it quickly and sent it to the fireplace, "Dumbledore is holding the first Order meeting tonight. We are to attend."

Juliet sighed heavily and lifted head, mouthing the words, 'He could have owled that, instead of sending that bitch over here.'


	77. Chapter 77

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**I know I havent updated anything for this in a long ass time.**

**I finished Soldier of Fortune with Disciple as my cowriter and it was a small project turned massive. Once I get some free time we are starting on our next project called Vegas Mutant Vacation, which will be a Marvel/Xmen fic.**

**Also had a baby boy named Arley Bear on April 5th. Still recovering from the c section and stuff but I'm good.**

**This is a short chapter because I have hit a mental wall and need to get my groove back.**

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'Doesn't it feel much longer than a few months since we were last here?'

"Not long enough." Severus sneered as he opened the large door into the Castle for her. "I will have to spend eternity here soon, remember?"

She squeezed his arm and gave him a worried look, 'It will all be okay, because I will be there with you every day.'

They made their way through the many halls and staircases, going to the Room of Requirement as instructed by Dumbledore's hand delivered message. Juliet was still bitter about Lily dropping in on Severus suddenly and attempting to seduce him. Severus assured her that would never happen and that she didn't have anything to worry about.

As soon as they walked into the Room of Requirement they were greeted by unwelcoming faces.

"What in the bloody hell are they doing here?"

"Oi, this is a private party!"

Severus ignored them and kept his head held high. Juliet did the same as she wrapped herself in his arm at his side when she saw Lily. He led her to the older adults and faculty that were standing by the fire. They had to be sure to greet them formally now that they were no longer students and he was head of his House.

"Professors." Severus greeted and bowed his head. Juliet did a small curtsey and smiled at them.

"Lord and Lady Prince, how wonderful to see you again." Flitwick bowed formally.

McGonagall grabbed each of their hands and smiled at them, "I didn't get to speak to you at the reception, but it was such a lovely wedding. Lady Prince, you looked so beautiful in your dress."

'Thank you so much for coming.' Juliet signed and bowed her head again.

Lily heard what was said and couldn't keep her mouth shut, "You went to  _their_ wedding?!"

Everyone gave her a questioning look. Flitwick spoke first, "We were invited. I was Lady Prince's Head of House after all."

"But Professor…." Lily looked to McGonagall, "You're  _our_ head of House! I personally invited you!"

"Yes, well I had already RSVP'd to their wedding. I didn't get your invite until after they had already set their date." She explained and left it at that.

Juliet pulled out her wand and the little ribbon came out, ' _Yes, we had our date planned first. I used my hands to get the message to you very clearly that night at the bar._ '

Lily's face went red with embarrassment but she was saved by their past Headmaster walking in with Alastor Moody.

"Good evening. I'm sure you are all wondering why you have been called now and not sooner." He said as he stepped into the center of the room.

Sirius spoke up first and pointed to Severus, "What we're wondering is what he's doing here."

"Yeah, you told us this meeting was to call arms of those who want to see Voldemort gone, not support him." Peter agreed.

Juliet waved her wand angrily and spelled out, ' _Speak for yourself, rat.'_  She knew that he was the one to turn on the Potters and could no longer contain her anger.

His eyes went wide before they narrowed, he was trying to figure out if she knew about his hidden Animagus form or if she was calling him names.

" **Silence.** " Albus said loudly, "They are here because they were invited. Before I get into the why and the how, we need to go over some ground rules."

Moody slammed his staff down on the flagstones, making a loud noise while barking out "Keep quiet or I'll make ya."

Albus paused and gave a stern look around the room. With his hands folded behind his back and his shoulders squared, he spoke again, "Anything that is said within these walls, remains within these walls. You were all invited here to join a group of like minded individuals in their stand against Tom Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort."

"Then why is that snake here?" Sirius huffed under his breath.

Albus started pacing around the room as he spoke, "Everyone here plays a vital role, whether it be their knowledge," he nodded his head towards the professors by the fireplace.

He continued to pace around the room, "Their experience," he nodded his head to Moody as he passed by him.

"Their past…" he stopped in front of Juliet and stared at her before adding, "or their status…" looking to Severus, "or their power."

James had come to a mutual respect with Severus, but old habits died hard and he joined in with his friends comments. "What does Snivellus bring to the table then? It sure isn't his looks or charms."

Moody snapped and slammed his staff on the ground again, "He's a mighty fine duelist who took you out in his 6th year and stood well enough on his own against a trained Auror."

Sirius crossed his arms, "That was then-"

Moody pointed a finger at both of them, "Even though I took you under my wing and have been trainin' ya; neither of you still wouldn't be able to take him in a duel! Ya ain't even full fledged Aurors yet!"

Severus smirked at both of his rivals and raised a brow, as if asking them to prove their mentor wrong. James' face turned red but he didn't say anything more. Sirius turned his nose up and refused to make eye contact with anyone.

"The one who might have a chance against 'im out of you lot is Longbottom." Moody finished.

Albus took the floor again, "These are desperate times where we need to put aside our differences and stand together. I will not put things lightly, we are in a time of war. The light against the dark."

Remus cleared his throat awkwardly and nodded, "What are we supposed to do?"

"Before we get any further, I'm afraid I require a oath of silence from each and every one of you." He looked around the room at them and watched them look around.

There were two red headed men standing by the far window and whispering amongst themselves, they were the Prewitt twins. "This is your chance to walk away. If you do not wish to stay," Albus looked to the twins who were whispering, "then your memory will be wiped and you will have never been to this meeting."

"We're in, Albus." The one on the left said, "But Molly… this ain't a place for her. If you gotta wipe her memory, then we understand."

The portly redheaded woman who was their sister spoke up, "Who are you to say what kind of place is for me!"

The one on the right replied, "Molls, you heard him… he said this is war. We ain't saying that you can't hold your own, but you're gonna have a baby at the end of the year and-"

"And nothing! You two may be my older brothers but last I checked we do not live at home anymore and I am married!" She said hotly.

"Arthur." Gideon gave her husband a knowing look.

" _Enough_. Who's leaving?" Moody grunted and he looked around the room.

Peter nodded his head towards the door and looked at Severus, "Last chance, we understand if you're too scared to stay. We won't say anything. Right guys?"

Didn't they know that if he could leave, he would? He didn't want to be in the bloody room with them, let alone in a secret club for Gryffindors. Severus looked to Moody, "Sir, I assume we are going to take every precaution and check everyone for a dark mark?"

Peter's face turned pale at his words and Severus could only fight his smile down to a smirk. Moody's jaw clamped tight as he nodded and hummed in approval, "Damn right we are."

Albus scowled at Severus, knowing what he was implying, "Enough. We don't have the time for this. Minerva, step forward please. You will be my second in command."

They went one by one getting sworn in by Albus and Minerva, until they were finally able to proceed with their first official meeting. Albus remained standing as everyone else took a seat or stood near the fireplace.

He looked to Juliet, "Before we begin, I want you to tell me if anything changes at any point in time. It will direct me in knowing what path I can safely take."

Juliet glared at him but nodded. He meant what information to share and withhold and she hated it. She was going to be his accomplice and Severus his puppet. Severus felt her distress and pulled her closer to him on the couch, wrapping his arm around her.

"This is the beginning of the hardest times of our lives. You will be my soldiers in this war, fighting for the greater good."

Severus and Juliet snorted at the same time, knowing all about the empty promises and plans that Albus had for them all.

Albus continued, "I will not put this lightly…some of you will die."

"That's why we need to maintain constant vigilance!" Moody barked.

"What do you need us to do?" James spoke up.

"Every one of you has a very important, yet very specific role in this war." Albus paused and began to pace around the room again.

Severus rolled his eyes and whispered to Juliet, "I hate it when he does things like this for dramatic effect."

"The Aurors will be our foot soldiers, of course. Those who work in the Ministry will be our eyes and ears on the current political stances and any information." Albus explained.

"What about those of us who aren't in the ministry?" Molly asked.

Albus smiled at her, "Ground control. Part of your job is maintaining a base for meetings, recovery and getting information to everyone. That goes for you as well, Mrs. Potter."

"It's Lady Potter," she corrected.

Molly spoke up, "Actually it's Mrs. Potter. While James' mother is still alive she is the Lady of House Potter. If his father passed away, leaving her a widow, she would then become Madame Potter and  _then_  you would become Lady Potter."

Lily's face of blushed embarrassment made Juliet smirk. Remus cleared his throat, "What about me?"

"Once you finish your education we can see about clearing your name." Albus explained.

"Finish school? What do you mean? School's over and the Ministry sure doesn't want me to come back to Hogwarts." Remus was shocked that he would say such a thing.

Albus shook his head, "You will be tutored through your remaining exams until you are ready to take your final at the Ministry."

"What do you mean tutored? I only have to take my potions exam then I'm done."

Severus was on his feet instantly, "No. Absolutely not."

The old Headmaster tilted his head and pursed his lips, "Yes, I believe so. Severus will handle your tutoring and administer your final Exam as an Official Ministry contractor. You will report to him every day until he feels that you are ready for your final exam."

Albus could see the gears were turning in his head. How could he ditch Lupin and still bypass the unbreakable vow? "Oh, and Severus? He has to pass."

Damn.


End file.
